Death themes in literature for children ages 3-8

Children's literature provides an appropriate tool for addressing concepts of death education. This study examined how death is presented in literature for children ages three-eight. A review of literature and Holsti's formula for intercoder reliability were used to develop a data collection instrument. Children's books with death themes were identified, and a content analysis recording frequencies for 39 items was performed on 65 books available for the study. A profile of the typical children's book with death themes was developed. The profile is discussed in terms of positive and negative presentations of death and being developmentally appropriate for young children. Based on results from the study, death themes are presented in a positive, realistic way that promote healthy development. Because of its positive presentations, children's literature is recommended as a teaching tool for death education.