The Very Best of Friends resonates with children by using a cat's perspective to navigate complex feelings of abandonment and grief. The farm setting provides safety while the illustrations shift colors to mirror the characters' internal struggles. Books in this family share an emotional honesty about how sadness can make people act unkindly before they find healing.
Reach for this book when your child is grappling with the sudden loss of a loved one or is struggling with the complicated, sometimes messy feelings that follow, such as anger or emotional withdrawal. This award winning story follows Jessie, a woman living on a farm, and her cat William after the sudden death of her husband, James. While many books on grief focus only on the initial sadness, this story bravely explores the secondary stage of grief where a survivor might push others away. It is a deeply realistic look at the healing process, showing that while grief can temporarily change our personalities or make us feel distant, love and patience can eventually lead us back to one another. It is ideal for children ages 4 to 8 who need to know that healing takes time and that big emotions are a natural part of losing someone dear.
