What Is Death?

by Etan Boritzer

Book Overview

"Was ist Tod?" stellt Kindern die verschiedenen Auffassungen von Tod, Verlust und Trauer vor. Das Buch geht behutsam und in ruhigem Ton, aber auch offen und n chtern, auf die nat rliche kindliche... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0963759752
• ISBN13: 9780963759757
• Release Date: July 2000
• Publisher: Veronica Lane Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.1" x 10.1"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

For Cancer Families

Etan Boritzer follows the success of his first two books What is God? and What is Love? with the third in his series of explaining abstract concepts to children. What is Death? is appropriately a thin book with just sixteen pages of text. Facing each page are colorful, intricate drawings by artist Nancy Forrest. Each picture illustrates the concepts presented on the facing page. The aithor starts the discussion by describing the big question - what is death? We know that everything dies. But we don't know what happens afterward. People die when they are old, very sick, or have accidents. Some deaths are peaceful, some are not. The author discusses why some people are scared of death - it's like walking into a dark room. And we all have seen beautiful things in nature die. Why is that? He offers an explanation of culture and religion, and the fact that different people have different ideas about death and dying. Some people are buried, some are cremated. The Egyptians wrapped their dead in cloths. Boritzer hits the mark with children by getting them to relate to the death of someone's grandfather. He suggests that sometimes it looks like the person is just sleeping. Then he talks about the sadness people have after someone dies. He asks the provocative question - what happens to the dead person's goodness, their love, their stories, the stuff inside - after the person's outside, their body, has died. This leads to a discussion of different ideas regarding a soul, that element of personhood that some people believe lives on, in some other place or maybe to be reborn again in another body. He touches on Hindu, Christian, Islamic, and Jewish beliefs about death. He also points out that there are people that do not believe in a soul or afterlife. The author appeals to common childhood experiences, like moving to a new home, to illustrate more abstract concepts. So, maybe if we start to think of Death / in all these good ways, / we'll be able to do good / and living things in Life. Discussing abstract subjects such as God and Death can surely be difficult for parents. But such things do come up. This is perhaps especially relevant to families dealing with cancer, whether the death is imminent of just a possibility. These questions are difficult to answer with any concrete finality. But the discussion must take place. Boritzer's books are a good starting point. He approaches the subject in a step-by-step way, appealing wherever possible to typical experiences children may have already had. Since he deals with the topic from multiple viewpoints, the book is valuable for parents from a wide range of belief systems. The illustrations are mostly soft and soothing, relying on pastels and fluid lines to express concepts in realistic but nonthreatening ways. Whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, whether you are facing cancer in your family or not, What is Death? is liable to make a valuable addition or gift to th

A good cognitive approach to the question

When you are needing to explain the concept of death to a child, this is a book that will give you a good start on a difficult subject. The explanations regarding practices and customs of various religions and cultures are given in a factual, straightforward manner. When journeying through grief, children experience a wide range of feelings. This book provides a cognitive approach to death and does not touch on the emotive, feeling side. As usual, I recommend being familiar and somewhat comfortable with the content of the book before sharing with children.

Good for discussing a difficult topic

Simple illustrations, like a child's colorful drawings, fill the pages of this book. The book asks questions as a child might - what is death, what happens to the body when we die, why does everyone want to know about death, what happens to the inside of a person (their funny stories, feelings, thoughts, ideas, love) when they dies?The answsers are sensible. Boritzer talks about what different cultures do with the body, different beliefs of the soul and afterlife (including people who belief nothing happens), what death might be as seen by different people, and how making life meaningful now can help a person's memory live on.Not a book about grieving, with no definite answers, this is a good book to keep on the bookshelf for the time when the questions will be raised by your child.

A Sensitive and Simple Approach to Death for Children

I read this book to my 2 young children (ages 4 and 6) and they were not "scared" as they originally thought they would be. The simple language and the clear thoughts presented, along with the colorful and whimsical illustrations, opened up a lively discussion between my children and myself. Obviously, no one can truly answer these questions but the author gives examples from different cultures and religions and that takes the fear out of this very difficult topic. I recommended the book to another friend who just had a serious bereavement issue with her child and she was equally impressed.

One of my All-Time 3 Favorite Books

This is an excellent book for children, writen by one of the best children's authors I've read. I really recommend this book. It has colorful illustrations, and is a thoughtful book.