The Purple Balloon

When a child becomes aware of his pending death (children tend to know long before the rest of us even want to consider it), and is given the opportunity to draw his feelings, he will often draw a blue or purple balloon, released and unencumbered, on its way upward. Health-care professionals have discovered that this is true, regardless of a childs cultural or religious background and researchers believe that this is symbolic of the childs innate knowledge that a part of them will live forever. . . .

In disarmingly simple and direct language, accompanied by evocative potato print illustrations, Raschka in conjunction with Childrens Hospice International (CHI), creates a moving, sensitive book that is also a phenomenally useful tool to talk about death. The message of the book is clear: talking about dying is hard, dying is harder, but there are many people in your life who can help.

Childrens Hospice International (CHI), a nonprofit organization founded in 1983, is paving the way for the establishment of childrens hospice and related services worldwide.