The Empty Chair: Helping Little Hearts Cope With Grief

A Gentle Children's Bereavement Book About Losing a Friend 

What happens when a friend doesn't come back to school?

When a friend dies, the classroom can suddenly feel very different.

The Empty Chair is a compassionate children's bereavement book created to help young readers understand and cope with the death of a friend or classmate.

Told through the eyes of Cleo, a young girl whose friend Leo suddenly dies, the story explores the emotions that can follow loss and how grief can appear in the classroom, in friendships and in ordinary everyday moments.

At school, Leo's chair is empty. But the memories, friendship and love he left behind are still very much present.

Helping Children Understand Grief and Loss

Through gentle, age-appropriate storytelling, The Empty Chair explores:

• The sadness and confusion that can follow the death of a friend

• Big feelings such as anger, worry and guilt

• Why grief can look and feel different for every child

• What it can feel like returning to school after a bereavement

• How memories can help children maintain a connection with someone special

• How talking about the person who died can help children process their feelings

Gentle Grief and Memory Support

At the heart of the story is a simple message:

Even when someone is no longer physically with us, the love, friendship and memories they leave behind can help fill the spaces that feel empty.

Children are gently reassured that:

• There is no "right" way to grieve

• Feelings can change from one day to the next

• It's okay to feel sad, angry, confused or worried

• It's okay to talk about someone who has died

• Remembering someone helps keep their story and the relationship you shared alive

Who Is This Book For?

The Empty Chair is suitable for:

• Children coping with the death of a friend or classmate

• Parents and carers supporting a grieving child

• Primary schools and teachers

• School counsellors, pastoral teams and wellbeing staff

• Child therapists and psychologists

• Hospices and children's bereavement services

• Bereavement support groups

It can be read together with a trusted adult or used by schools and professionals as a gentle starting point for conversations about death, grief, friendship and remembrance.

A Story of Friendship, Memory and Hope

The Empty Chair offers reassurance, understanding and hope during an experience that can be particularly difficult for a child to understand.

Because even when someone is no longer sitting beside us, their love, their friendship and the memories we shared can remain part of our story.

Part of the Helping Little Hearts Cope With Grief series.

Children's Bereavement Book | Loss of a Friend | School Bereavement Support