Milton Keynes author aims to help children navigate grief through power of storytelling

Local author and illustrator, Carolann Hinson, wrote her second book Ozzy and the Empty Chair to gently introduce conversations about death and grief with her younger audience.

Carolann said: “I believe we sometimes underestimate children's ability to understand difficult subjects, particularly death.

“As adults, we naturally want to protect them from sadness, but avoiding these conversations can sometimes leave children feeling even more confused.”

As a child, she remembers having similar feelings when grieving the loss of her grandparents, and her beloved dog who was born on the same day as her.

“I remember struggling with those emotions and how confusing it could be to feel sadness one moment, anger the next, or even find myself questioning things I couldn't possibly change.

“I wanted to create something that might have helped the younger version of me understand that all those complicated feelings were perfectly normal.”

Carolann’s book follows Ozzy, a gentle firefighter dog, whose mum has died. As he struggles to make sense of his overwhelming emotions, his five friends gently help him explore the five stages of grief.

With the help of his friends, Ozzy begins to find acceptance, while cherishing the love and memories he shared with his mum.

“Above everything, I want children to understand that whatever they're feeling is okay. It's okay to cry, to feel angry, to ask questions, to miss someone terribly and still find reasons to smile.

“Having also worked in health and social care for over 30 years, I've witnessed the impact of grief on individuals and families, and how important it is to feel heard, understood and supported.”

The story of Ozzy and the Empty Chair is Carolann’s second book in her Spadger & Friends children's series, which helps young children navigate some of life's more difficult conversations.

“My dad's Alzheimer's diagnosis originally inspired Spadger & Friends. Although he's still with us, I've felt myself slowly losing parts of him over the past ten years.

“It's taught me that grief doesn't always begin when someone dies. Sometimes it begins long before, as you slowly lose the person you've always known and loved.”

Ozzy and the Empty Chair will be ready for distribution from October 31. Carolann hopes the book will help families navigate hard conversations and difficult emotions.

“If this story helps even one child feel understood, or gives a parent, grandparent or teacher the words to begin a difficult conversation about death, then it will have achieved exactly what I hoped.”