We Need to Talk About Death

An IMPORTANT Book About Grief, Celebrations, and Love

By: Sarah Chavez, Annika Le Large, Neon Squid

Narrated by: Erin Ruth Walker

This audiobook features music and special effects.

An educational audiobook that helps grieving children understand what happens when we die, and celebrates the traditions people around the world use to honor the dead.

Death is an important part of life, and yet it is one of the hardest things to talk about—for adults as well as children. Historian and museum curator Sarah Chavez is determined to create a audiobook that sparks wonder and curiosity about dying, instead of fear and shame.

In this informative listen, children will marvel at the flowers different cultures use to represent death. They will find out about eco-friendly burials, learn how to wrap a mummy, and go beneath the streets of Paris to witness skull-lined catacombs! Listeners will also ride a buffalo alongside Yama, the Hindu god of death, come face-to-face with the terracotta army a Chinese emperor built to escort him to the afterlife, and party in the streets to celebrate the Day of the Dead in Mexico.

Through these examples Sarah Chavez showcases the amazing ways humans have always revered those who have died. Full of practical tips, this book won’t stop the pain of losing a loved one or a pet, but it may give young listeners ideas for different ways they can celebrate those who have passed away, and help begin the healing process.

A Macmillan Audio production from Neon Squid.