For any child struggling with the idea of death or, in fact, anyone of any age dealing with the loss of a loved one, The Next Place by Warren Hanson offers a wonderfully poetic starting place.

Hanson’s simple lyrics provide a vivid, if abstract, image of the next place that effectively bridges differences in faith and dogma. It is particularly comforting if a loved one was lost after a struggle with illness.

I stumbled upon this book a few years ago when Miss First Grader (then just three) began to grapple with the idea of mortality. I believe we only read the book a handful of times before her nightmares and frightened questions abated.

Then her sister, Little Miss Four, reached the same milestone, and again the book helped calm her worries.

There is another, deeper value to The Next Place. It is a small act of kindness and comfort for a grieving loved one. Miss First Grader brought great comfort to her grandmother this weekend simply by reading this little poem in memory of her great-grandmother. This is definitely a book worth sharing.

The next place that I go
Will be as peaceful and familiar
As a sleepy summer Sunday
And a sweet, untroubled mind

Tags: Big Ideas, Children's Books

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

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