Tiny Reading List
Jasper's Day by Marjorie Blain Parker

Books like Jasper's Day

By Marjorie Blain Parker

For families who have loved a pet through to the end, this gives that goodbye a name, a shape, and a little bit of grace. Tender, quiet, bittersweet, warm even in sadness

Saying Goodbye to Lulu by Corinne Demas

A young girl and her dog Lulu are inseparable companions who play, explore, and read bedtime stories together — until Lulu grows old and weak, and the girl must face losing her.

The Forever Dog by Bill Cochran

A boy named Mike and his dog Corky make a Forever Plan to always be together — until one day Mike comes home from school and Corky isn't there anymore.

Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola

A four-year-old boy loves visiting his grandmother and great-grandmother, Nana Downstairs and Nana Upstairs, until one day his mother tells him Nana Upstairs won't be there anymore.

I'll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm

A child and a beloved dachshund named Elfie grow up side by side, playing and exploring, and every single night the child says, "I'll always love you" — until Elfie is gone.

The Invisible Leash by Patrice Karst

After his dog dies, a boy named Zack refuses to believe anything he can't see — until a walk through his neighborhood with his friend Emily helps him feel the invisible pull of love that grief can't break.

Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant

A gentle picture of what heaven holds for dogs — endless fields to run in, fluffy clouds for sleeping, and biscuits no dog can resist.

In Every Life by Marla Frazee

A quiet meditation on the everyday moments — love and loss, hope and joy, wonder and mystery — that thread through every single life, shown through glowing art and spare text.

Beyond the Ridge by Paul Goble

An elderly Plains Indian woman dies and journeys into the afterlife her people believe in, while her family carries out the customs of preparing her body and saying goodbye.

Two Homes by Claire Masurel

A young boy named Alex has two homes now — one with Mommy, one with Daddy — each with its own chair, its own bedroom, its own friends, and the same steady love waiting in both.

Memoirs of a Tortoise by Devin Scillian

An 80-year-old tortoise named Oliver has shared decades in the garden with his human, Ike, who is also 80 — but when Ike stops visiting, Oliver sets out across ten gardens to ask his mother why.

Cat Heaven by Cynthia Rylant

A gentle picture book imagines Cat Heaven, where beloved cats run through fields of sweet grass, play with favorite toys, and are cared for by angels who rub their noses and ears.

I Can't Believe They're Gone: A kid's grief book by Karen Brough

A mouse family faces the loss of someone they love, and gentle Bear helps each one — including quiet little Tiny — find their own way to understand and express their grief.