ABSTRACT
Younger children may have many basic questions about death and grief. In Charlotte’s Web, the character Wilbur the pig asks simple questions about life and death to the spider Charlotte. Wilbur is very grateful to Charlotte for saving his life and for helping him to understand death and grief issues. When young children grieve the death of a significant person, they may feel angry and upset. They may be able to find ways to deal with their upset feelings or they may not. It may help grieving children to discuss the activities that they like to do, and the good memories that they have of the person who died. Young children often do not understand why people die (it can be difficult for people of all ages to understand why people die). Grieving children may be helped by discussing the special characteristics that are unique to them and to the person who died.
