The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
Before reading this book with a bereaved child, tell them that it is about being connected to people we love with an invisible string. Tell them that it includes one of the children asking, “Can my string reach all the way to Uncle Brian in heaven?” Ask them if it’s ok to read the book together.
Read the book together taking time to find the hearts hidden in each illustration.
Key Questions to ask after reading the book:
Who can you think of now at the end of one of your invisible strings?
How does thinking about them make you feel?
Can you think of something you have done with them which made you happy?
Bereaved children may talk about their special person who has died, or someone who is still alive. Both are ok! It helps to hear who is special to them and you can learn about their support network if they choose someone who is still alive.
Activity: Making a heart and string poster
Cut out hearts to represent yourself and at least one other special person.
Name them and stick them onto your poster.
Using glue and wool or string, create a visible connection between two of the hearts.
Encourage creativity to make the wool or string as looped, curled and as visually and interestingly tangled as you can.
Using coloured pens and/or pencils, note things along the wool/string that you do or used to do with that person, e.g. play board games, football, tv time.
Encourage a bereaved child to talk about happy memories of spending time with their special person whilst working on the activity.
Repeat the above, linking each of the hearts to each other if your poster has included more than two hearts.
Ending the session:
The Invisible String is a book of love. “Even though you can’t see it, you can feel it deep in your heart and know that you are always connected to the ones you love.” In this session, we have made a visible reminder of some of the special things that connect us to our special people. Even though we can’t always see them, we are connected and it’s a thread that never need break. Tell each child what you like about their posters using the sentence starters, “I can see that you…” and, “I like that you have…”