Jens Raschke & Jens Rassmus: Do Fish Sleep?

I checked out this book from the library to read with my seven-year-old son before bedtime. I had no idea what the book is about. As we started to read together, in which he did most of the reading, it became clear on the first page that the subject is heavy. Jette, a ten-year-old girl, talks about her brother’s death. Emil passed away at age six. He had been sick for a while from blood disorder. In a straightforward storytelling, the book shows how parents and sibling deal with loss and grief. Written in German by Jens Raschke, illustrated by Jens Rassmus, and translated by Belinda Cooper, Do Fish Sleep? is approachable for kids to learn about death. I highly recommend reading it with your kids and have an honest conversation about it.