Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying

"Wise tree wizards talk to a squirrel and a tree about the tree's impending death, and eventually help them both move toward accepting it."--NYPL Blog

Gentle Willow is a book for children who may not survive their illness. This comforting story about a tender-spirited tree and her friends in the forest will also help all children with the death of friends, family members, or even pets. A healing metaphor, it addresses our feelings of sadness, love, disbelief, and anger, and provides children with a transformational way of viewing death and dying .Now in its second edition, Gentle Willow contains additional guidance to parents by children's author and psychologist Jane Annunziata, Psy.D.

From the Introduction:

Gentle Willow was written for children who may not survive their illness and for the children who know them. Over the last decade I have heard many moving stories about the uses of Gentle Willow as far away as Africa, showing how a simple story can touch the spirit of children worldwide. Gentle Willow addresses feelings of disbelief, anger, and sadness, along with love, compassion, and care giving, and it provides children, and those who are reading the story with them, a transformational way of viewing death and dying. In this new edition, with its soft, beautiful art by Cary Pillo, Jane Annunziata, Psy.D. has contributed a Note to Parents with guidelines on talking to children about death and dying. In the back, parents and care givers can also find detailed instructions for two exercises designed to help children with pain and fear: the My Pain Getting Better Book and the Magic Happy Breath.

Joyce C. Mills, Ph.D., is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Registered Play Therapy Supervisor, and recipient of the 1997 Play Therapy International award. Author of several books for all ages, including Sammy the Elephant & Mr. Camel, Gentle Willow, and Little Tree, she specializes in storytelling as a healing process. Dr. Mills is in private practice in Arizona and on the Board of Directors of the Turtle Island Project, where she co-leads healing retreats for women along with Native American spiritual and educational leaders.

Cary Pillo a Fine Arts and Design graduate from Washington State University, has illustrated many children’s educational materials and children’s books, including A Terrible Thing Happened, Gentle Willow, Striped Shirts and Flowered Pants, and Tibby Tried It. She lives in Seattle.