Bird is Dead

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.