Big questions about life and death, answered with tenderness
A picture book that gives your child simple, honest words for life, death, grief and everything in between. So the first time they meet a real goodbye, they are not meeting the words for the first time too.
Already read by 2.400+ families
Jim, LaidbackDaddy
Father of two. Brother of Nikki.
Instant
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You would rather not think about it. Your child already is.
A dead bird on the pavement. A grandparent who got thin. A question at bedtime that stops your heart: “Mama, are you going to die too?”
None of that makes you a bad parent. It just means nobody ever gave you the words either.
Imagine the question coming, and you staying calm
Your child asks. You do not panic. You reach for a book you have already read together on an ordinary Sunday, and you talk. They ask three more things, then run off to play. Later that week they come back with another question, because they know they are allowed to.
And when something hard really does happen, and one day it will, your family does not start from zero. You start from a conversation you already know how to have.
What is inside
Fifty pages, written to be read out loud, with room for your child to answer back.
50 gentle pages
Short, calm chapters about being alive, what dead means, grief, goodbyes and remembering. Written to be read out loud.
Words you can borrow
Clear, honest sentences for the moments you freeze. No euphemisms, no fairy tales you will have to undo later.
Space for your own beliefs
The book explains that people believe different things, and leaves room for whatever your family believes.
Memory pages to fill in
A page for someone or a pet your child wants to remember, plus a make your own goodbye ritual spread.
Feelings map
A simple drawing exercise that helps a child show where sadness, anger or missing someone lives in their body.
A note for grown-ups
Practical guidance on reading together, following your child's questions, and what to say when you do not know.
How it works
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Read it on an ordinary day
Not after a loss. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, when everyone is okay.
Follow their questions
Let your child stop, laugh, wonder or ask again three months later.
Keep the door open
When something hard does happen, the words are already there. You start from calm.
About the author
I wrote this because I needed it myself
Four years ago my sister died of cancer. She was 39. Her sons were three and four. Mine were two and four. Suddenly death was not something far away or in stories. It was part of our family.
My children are six and nine now, and they have already known more deaths, funerals and goodbyes than I had by the time I was 25. We teach our kids to cross the road before they cross it alone. We teach them to swim before they end up in deep water. So why do we wait until someone dies before we talk about death?
“The point is not to make sure children are never afraid of death. The point is to make sure they know they can talk about it.”
Jim, LaidbackDaddy
From families who read it first
“We read it on a normal Wednesday. My daughter asked eleven questions and then went back to playing. Exactly what I hoped for.”
Sanne
Utrecht
“Our dog died in March. Because we had already read this together, my son had words for what he felt. That saved us both.”
Mark
Ghent
“I am a primary school teacher and I have read a lot of these books. This one is the only one that never talks down to children.”
Elke
Haarlem
Questions, honestly answered
Is this suitable for young children?
Yes. It is written for roughly ages 4 to 10, in short sentences and plain language. Younger children usually take one or two pages at a time, older children read on their own and come back with questions.
How much time does it take?
You can read the whole book in about 25 minutes. Most families read a few pages at a time instead, which works just as well.
How long do I keep access?
Forever. You buy the file once, you download it whenever you want, on any device you own.
Do we have to be grieving to read it?
No, and that is the whole point. The book is made to be read before anything happens, so that the words already exist when they are needed.
What if I do not know the answers?
You do not need them. The book says out loud that some things we know, some things we do not, and that people believe different things. Your only job is to stay in the conversation.
Does it push a religious view?
No. It shares that people believe different things about what happens after death, and gently invites the child to wonder. Jim shares one personal belief and clearly says you do not have to believe it.
What if it is not right for us?
Write to Jim within 14 days and you get your money back, no explanation needed.
How do I pay?
Securely through our checkout with iDEAL, card, PayPal or Bancontact. Your download link arrives by email immediately after payment.
The Story of Life & Death
€19,99
One payment. Yours to keep and reread forever.
Less than a takeaway dinner, for words your family will use for years. And if it is not right for you, you get your money back within 14 days.
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- Lifetime access
- 14 day money back
One quiet afternoon now, so they are never left alone with it
You cannot protect your child from loss. You can make sure they never have to carry their questions in silence.
Secure payment · Instant access · Start today