Water Bugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children

Talking about death is never easy; talking about death with children is awful. I liked this book for its simplicity and yet a possible explanation of what happens next without getting into heaven/religious grown-up speak. I was pleasantly surprised at the feeling I had for the dragonfly when he realized that he could not return as promised to tell everyone what happened. Could this be confusing for kids? Perhaps, because the dragonfly didn't die nor really did the water bug; it changed and became something else. I kind of like that idea but not sure if kids would get it and wonder if they might start looking elsewhere for their "missing" loved one.

This is a short story that tells about how a water bug transforms into a dragonfly. It helps to explain how when someone dies they transform into something that we, the living, can no longer see. I loved that this book explained death in an abstract way because death is such an abstract concept. As a parent, I am responsible for teaching my son personal beliefs about Heaven and God. I used this book to begin a discussion with my young son about the death of a loved one. He now uses it to start a conversation with me when he is thinking about the significant person he lost in his life.

This book provides a way of explaining death to children, using metaphors in nature.

This Christian book uses the metaphor of water bugs
ascending up a lily stalk to become a dragon-fly to
show children that death is not the end, but the
beginning of something else.

This book is good to read to young readers. It can be a good way to tell children about death without specific details about death. It can help children that may be grieving.