A Look at Death (Lerner Awareness Series)

In this book from the Awareness Series, Forrai and Anders have teamed together to produce a counseling resource helpful in early grief counseling sessions for children. The work includes text written with children in mind and photographs of scenes from peoples' lives at all points in the grieving process. Following the opening, "Death is a part of life," the team carefully and tastefully moves from the realization of death to a funeral and on to the interment site. This book has several strengths that help maintain its usefulness today in spite of the 1978 pubilcation date and its out-of-print status. First, its size is not overbearing for one-to-one sharing with a child. It is not too bulky or too lengthy. Next, the text is brief but explanatory. (I have used sentences from pages facing the photos to explain what is happening in the pictures.) The author concisely relates the process of dying and the feelings that the bereaved experience. Many faiths and/or world views can use this book without feeling proselytized, for several universal events are pictured. (In counseling with children, I like this aspect of showing that others although different have similar needs). Further, the photographs tell it all. Clearly, the book is intended to have as its focus the pictures, for the photographer is listed first on the title page. From cover the cover, these unstaged pictures are the record of grief. Children see care given to the dying, the funeral services, gatherings afterwards with family, the empty place in our lives and the hope for future days. (I choose this book to help me talk to grieving children before funerals, for it includes representations of many of the events they will soon live through. I can tell them about a casket or coffin and show them a picture. Information like this helps take the mystery and fear out of the funeral.) This work needs to be reprinted and updated. More pictures of funeral activities would be helpful. Also, since the book is for children, more photos of children in grief might be beneficial. "A Look at Death" is a good look.