Katherine Pendergast

In Loving Memory: A Child's Journey to Understanding a Funeral and Starting the Grieving Process Katherine Pendergast

The coauthor Lacie Brueckner has been a funeral director serving families since 2005. She has always taken a special interest in meeting the needs of children during the funeral process. She has found that most children want to feel included in the funeral too. In this story a young girl named Harper has lost her grandma. Through gentle words and soft illustrations Harper learns what a funeral looks like and how she can participate. Harper and her family also take you through her journey of starting the grieving process. A child who has lost someone near and dear to them can learn from young Harper experience. Harper learns the following throughout her journey: -Death is a natural part of life. Harper learns that plants, animals, and people live and die. -Bodies go through natural changes when we die, so our bodies might look a little different. Through beautiful illustrations, Harper sees an open casket visitation, funeral, and grave side services.-Each child might have a different comfort level when it comes to participating in a funeral. Harper's parents allow her to decide how much she wants to participate in the funeral process by asking if she would like to see the body. They also ask if she is comfortable getting up and sharing a special memory of her grandma. -Feeling different emotions is natural. Sometimes emotions come and go long after the funeral. Harper's mom helps her do special activities that remind her of her grandma. -Harper learns that our loved ones are always in our hearts long after the funeral. There are pages for your child to write or draw memories and ideas on what they can do to remember their loved one.