Read more
Winner of the 2025 Queen's Knickers Book Award.
An honest and simple exploration of death and grief for kids 4 to 8. With playful illustrations by a therapist-turned-artist, Bird is Dead uses humor to make death a more approachable topic.
Bird is dead. Yesterday he was alive. How do the other birds know? On your back + feet up = dead. Some of the birds cry a little. And that's alright. Crying together can be nice. When it's time to give Bird a funeral, they reminisce about him, and then have tea with worms (or cake, if you don't like worms).
In a straightforward but warm way, this picture book of collaged birds can facilitate discussions with kids about:
- What happens when someone dies
- How to understand their feelings of loss and grief
- How everyone can experience grief differently, and have a variety of emotions when something tragic happens
Sensitive and humorous,
Bird is Dead provides kids and adults with a space to talk about death on their own terms.
About the author
Tiny Fisscher writes for all ages in all genres, and is the author of many books for children.
Herma Starreveld was originally a therapist and now works as a mixed media artist.
Summary
An honest and simple exploration of death and grief for kids 4 to 8. With playful illustrations by a therapist-turned-artist, Bird is Dead uses humor to make death a more approachable topic.
Bird is dead. Yesterday he was alive. How do the other birds know? On your back + feet up = dead. Some of the birds cry a little. And that’s alright. Crying together can be nice. When it’s time to give Bird a funeral, they reminisce about him, and then have tea with worms (or cake, if you don’t like worms).
In a straightforward but warm way, this picture book of collaged birds can facilitate discussions with kids about:
- What happens when someone dies
- How to understand their feelings of loss and grief
- How everyone can experience grief differently, and have a variety of emotions when something tragic happens
Sensitive and humorous,
Bird is Dead provides kids and adults with a space to talk about death on their own terms.
Foreword
- Working with a children’s book publicist
- National print reviews, interviews, and features
- Influencer outreach: Bookstagram and BookTok
- Paid and organic social media content
- Print galley mailing
- Downloadable resources on Greystone’s Educator Hub
Report
"Can be helpful when helping children understand and say goodbye.....A nice addition to parenting collections on death and dying....[for] all collections that serve young children."
-Stephanie Tournas, Youth Services Book Review
"Gorgeous...a work that fascinates and helps turn death from the macabre mystery to a part of life that deserves time and care."
-Kiss the Book
"Fischer and Starreveld's picture book invites an honest exploration of death and grief ... The story, conveyed with simplicity, carries the profound message that grief and loss are complex emotions, experienced uniquely by each individual, yet entirely normal and acceptable. Fischer's narrative embraces acceptance without judgment, while Starreveld's illustrations transport the reader into a realm where reality fades into the distance."
-Mat Tobin, Books for Keeps
"Empathy abounds....plain talk...honor[s] young readers' maturity about life's singular inevitability....Bird is dead, and this refreshingly direct story should equip kids to process their own emotions while dealing with real-life losses."
-Shelf Awareness, STARRED Review
"Imbue[d] with humorous and poignant touches...Honest words and arresting characters model the essential elements for one of life's most difficult conversations."
-Kirkus, STARRED review
"Revealing each one as a distinct individual with their own thoughts and feelings... the honest, matter-of-fact portrayal of what occurs after someone dies is laid out in a tale to which young children can relate."
-Booklist
"This plainspoken and candid lens on death is a conversation-starter."
-Horn Book
"Unexpectedly tender... honoring the spectrum of grief and its varied manifestations"
-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED
