Title: Grandad's Prayers of the Earth

Author: Douglas Wood

Themes: Mindfulness, Grief, Individuation, Coping Skills, Developing Perspective, Gratitude

Age Recommendation: Elementary through High School 

Summary: Grandad's Prayers of the Earth is the beautifully illustrated story of a boy's relationship with his grandfather, his grandfather's relationship with nature, and nature's relationship with spirituality. The story follows the boy's life from childhood to young adulthood and describes his feelings about life, death, and his place in the universe. 

Ideas / Interventions: This is a great book to read with kids who are dealing with either the anticipated death or recent passing of a loved one. It can also be used to introduce a conversation about how thoughts, feelings, and spirituality can change over the life span. 

When utilizing this book as a way to discuss grief, I like to bring donuts or bagels to the session. Talk about what a "whole" bagel or donut is, and discuss how it can be "whole" even though there is a "hole" missing from the middle. This is a good introduction to the concept that even though grief feels like we have a "hole" in our heart, we can still be "whole." This book can also be used as a segue into the discussion about stages of grief and how they aren't linear in nature. Incorporating an activity related to gratitude, in combination with processing grief, is another great way to utilize this book for bibliotherapy.