My recent reads; Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard and The many World of Albie Bright by Christopher Edge share the theme of the loss of a parent. I was reminded of being asked by a friend, last September, if I could recommend any books for young children that deal with loss and sadness. Dealing with loss is hard for all of us, but explaining loss to a child can feel like an unbearable task. There doesn't seem to be an easy way to break the news or common shared method of explaining death to young children. It's something that as adults we can only know how to deal with when we are in a situation where we have to deal with it. However books can help to explain a concept or emotion through characters that as a reader you can choose to relate to.
To begin with I really struggled to come up with some suggestions and so paid a visit to a Waterstones (in Reading as I was away at the time) and asked the assistant if she had any suggestions. She directed me to the first experiences section - which I have to add is a great section for those books that explain things; first visit to hospital, first day of school etc. I managed to pick a couple of books out of there that I thought might help. On my return to work a few days later I also picked the brains of my colleagues and came up with this short list, (I will keep coming back and adding to this list - If you have a suggestion please leave the title and author in the comments below).
Sad by Michael Rosen - addresses feeling sad and can help initiate a discussion about it being ok to feel sad sometimes. 
I Miss You: a First Look at Death by Pat Thomas - helps children to know that it is ok to feel sad and upset when someone you love dies.
Badgers Parting Gifts by Susan Varley - when Badger dies, his friends feel
very sad that he is no longer with them. His friends feel stronger when they remember the happy times with Badger and all the wonderful things he has left them with. 
Goodbye Mog by Judith Kerr - shares the death of the beloved Mog. A beautiful book sharing the loss of Mog the Thomas family cat. Mog is very tired and wants to sleep forever, but a little bit of her stays awake to watch over her family.
There is a great guide suggesting other books here: http://childrensbooksguide.com/death
Child bereavment Uk also have some good resources and information sheets for adults and children and have some helpful tips on explaining loss to children of all ages.
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