Age range: Preschool through 3rd grade.

Recommended for: These books are an excellent first introduction to the many changes that come with divorce, and they gently scaffold early conversations about a child’s fears and feelings about these changes while introducing a visual calendar to help a child track when they will be at each parent’s home. The books come in three nearly-identical versions featuring two moms, two dads, and a mom and a dad. The books are best for a child who will be spending time with both of their parents, but they don’t assume 50/50 shared custody.

Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.

Recommended for: This book provides a developmentally appropriate explanation of what divorce is and how it might impact a child. The book is fairly dry but useful; parents may even choose to read this on their own and borrow the language when talking with their children.

Age range: Preschool through Kindergarten.

Recommended for: Young children who are anticipating missing a caregiver or who are currently missing a caregiver will benefit from the validation this book provides as well as the gentle suggestions for ways to soothe the ache of missing a loved one. This would be a great read prior to a first day of school or to a caregiver going on a trip, or before a child is left with a babysitter. Anyone who ever watches a child while they’re separated from a parent/ caregiver (e.g., relatives, teachers, babysitters) may want to have this book on hand for moments of missing mom or dad (or any other important caregiver). Although divorce isn’t specifically addressed in this book, a child with separated parents might also benefit from reading this book when they are staying with one parent and missing the other.

Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.

Recommended for: This book is a calm, normalizing introduction to divorce and separation, and it provides recommendations for coping with upcoming changes. The illustrations include families of color and queer parents, so it is particularly well-suited for families looking for a book with representation beyond White, heterosexual parents. No specific custody arrangements are mentioned in the book.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This book uses animal metaphors to help a child who doesn’t want to talk express their painful feelings about their parents’ divorce. It’s best for children who already have a basic understanding of divorce and the changes that will be happening or have recently happened in their family. This book is exclusively for families with divorcing/ separating parents who are planning to share custody.

Age range: Kindergarten through 3rd grade.

Recommended for: This book helps children to name the feeling of “missing,” which many children frequently feel following parents’ separation or divorce. It suggests journaling (drawing and/or writing) as a strategy to cope with this feeling. It’s best read after parents’ separation has already occurred and a child has a working understanding of separation/divorce. This book features a grandfather confidante and would be great if read with an extended family member or therapist, particularly if paired with a gift of a small journal or notebook.

Age range: 1st grade through 4th grade.

Recommended for: This book is excellent for a child who is hurt and angry about their parents’ divorce and who feels invalidated by books that imply that there might be good things about it (e.g., all of the books that include a line like, now you’ll have twice as many toys!). This book validates a child’s pain, reminds them that it isn’t their fault, and encourages them to express their feelings. It is a great book for a therapist or counselor to use prior to introducing a relevant therapy activity (e.g., writing out a child’s worries on strips of paper; making a collage of their feelings) and as a way to communicate that in therapy a child doesn’t have to act like everything is okay. Parents may find this book painful, as it is a reminder of how difficult divorce can be for children, but for many kids, it could be a relief to see that their parent recognizes and accepts their feelings about the divorce. The parents in this book are never pictured, so it works for divorcing parents of all genders.

Age range: 1st grade through 4th grade.

Recommended for: This is a funny, touching book that portrays a creative way for children to mourn and make peace with having a family that spans multiple homes. This book is best read with children after divorce has already been explained and a separation initiated. This book is also a good fit for therapists who want to engage their clients with divorced parents in a relevant therapeutic art project–either related to a “blue period” or a collage.

Age range: Preschool through Kindergarten

Recommended for: This story is simple and soothing and provides a positive yet realistic example of what it might be like for a child to have two homes. This book would be best read with a child after a separation or divorce has already been explained and a move to two homes is imminent. This book could also help to normalize having two homes for a child whose parents have already separated or who have never lived together.

Age range: Preschool through 2nd grade.

Recommended for: This book is an emotionally resonant story about a little boy whose two moms are getting divorced. One of his moms seems to have full custody (he sleeps at her house), and Frankie visits his other mom on Saturdays a.k.a. Pattydays. The story normalizes parental separation, validates feelings, and provides hope that children will stay close with both parents after a divorce, even if the custody arrangement is not 50/50.

Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.

Recommended for: This book showcases a family in which a little girl’s mom and dad get divorced, and both the mom and dad start dating women. It celebrates this family constellation and provides upbeat reassurance that mommies can date mommies and daddies can date daddies. This book is best for parents who have an amicable co-parenting relationship and would feel comfortable referring to their ex-spouse as a friend.

Age range: Preschool through 1st grade.

Recommended for: This book is really lovely for a parent to read to their child when their ex-partner starts dating someone new. Parents who are about to introduce their children to a new partner or who have recently introduced someone new may also find this book helpful. It reassures children that it is okay for them to like the new partner and have fun with them and that this isn’t a betrayal to their other parent (a concern many children have). It also normalizes complicated feelings that children often have when their parents start dating new partners, and it provides hope that the relationship will become a positive one for them too.