Emotional Support After the Death of a Child
Ripples Support
Story Collection
Gentle stories for children grieving the death of a brother or sister.
When a brother or sister dies, children can experience many different feelings. They may feel sad, worried, angry, confused or left out—and their feelings can change from one moment to the next.
Through two gentle, illustrated stories, The Memory Tree and The River of Remembering, Ripples the Comfort Cat helps children explore grief, memories and the different ways someone special can remain part of their life.
Each story includes a creative companion activity and can be shared slowly with a trusted adult. A child can listen, join in, remember, draw or stop at any time.
There is no pressure to talk or take part. Sometimes simply listening, looking at the pictures or holding Ripples close may be enough.
One gentle collection, made to be shared
Ripples the Comfort Cat
A soft companion to hold close, whisper worries to or simply keep nearby when words feel too difficult.
Illustrated stories
Each story gently support a different part of a siblings’ experience without promising that difficult feelings will disappear.
Companion activities
Creative worksheets introduced in the stories offer another way to notice feelings, make choices and hold onto important memories.
Meet Ripples
A small cat with a listening heart
Ripples is a small black-and-white cat with soft paws, a pink heart and a golden crown.
The crown does not mean that Ripples is in charge. It is a reminder that there are many kinds of courage: asking questions, saying “not yet”, holding someone's hand, having a rest, sharing a worry or trying one breath at a time.
Children can hold Ripples while a story is read, practise an activity together or simply keep Ripples close without saying anything at all.
There is no pressure to talk. Ripples is there to listen.
Ripples and the Memory Tree
COMPANION ACTIVITY:
Memory Leaf
A gentle story for remembering the people that we miss.
Love lives in our memories.
When someone special dies, children can feel many different things. Grief can sometimes feel confusing, heavy or difficult too explain.
Ripples the Comfort Cat leads children to a magical Memory Tree, where they can explore their feelings, remember someone they love and discover that memories can help us feel connected, even when someone is no longer here.
Ripples and the
River of Remembering
COMPANION ACTIVITY:
My Feeling Cushions
My Memory Jar
A gentle story for remembering the people that we miss.
Love travels with us.
When someone special dies, children can feel many different things. Grief can feel like a river - calm one moment and stormy the next.
Ripples the Comfort Cat leads children on a gentle adventure through changing feelings, precious memories and practical ways to feel steadier when a big wave comes.
How Support Stories can help
Notice
feelings
Giving children gentle language and images for what may be happening inside.
Feeling accompanied
Offering a familiar character to keep close during difficult or unfamiliar moments.
Find quiet
courage
Remembering that asking, pausing, resting and choosing what helps can all be courageous.
How to request support
Help another child cope with big feelings
Send a little comfort
A donation of £5 can help us send a Ripples Support Story to a bereaved sibling.
Every family’s grief is different
❤️
If you think a Ripples Support Stories, cat and resources could offer you a small moment of care,
we’d love to hear from you.