Dying to Ask: 38 Questions from Kids about Death

Ages 6 to 9

Two writers and an illustrator walk into a book and find themselves with thirty-eight questions about death asked by boys and girls between five and fifften years old. How and what will they answer?

For mortal beings of all ages comes Dying to Ask, the result of an international project where children were invited to ask questions about death based on a series of workshops. The result? Hundreds of questions from countries all over the world.

Herein lies thirty-eight questions that best represented the breadth and depth of children’s interest in death and related matters, complete with psychological and scientific proofing. Thoughtful, tender, and surprisingly joyful, this illustrated book is an invitation to talk, think, and ask further questions about death.

Some of the questions: Will I die? Where do we go when we die? Will we all become extinct one day? If someone you love dies, how long are you sad for? Why do people say “rest in peace” rather than “rest in fun?”

About the Author

Ellen Duthie was born in Spain to British parents. She holds an MA in Mental Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh. A writer, teacher, blogger, and translator, her interests are focused on children's literature and philosophy for children.

Anna Juan Cantavella, Ph.D holds a Ph.D. in Social and Cultural Anthropology and a Master's in Children’s Books and Literature. Currently, she is a lecturer in the UAB's Department of Language and Literature Didactics and collaborates with the Gretel research group and the Wonder Ponder publishing company.

Andrea Antinori is an award-winning illustrator based in Bologna, Italy. He wrote and illustrated the book The Lives of Lemurs and Octopuses Have Zero Bones. Among many other recognitions, he is the recipient of the International Illustration Prize (Bologna International Children's Book Fair), Best International Illustrated Book (China Shanghai International Children's Book Fair), the Andersen Prize for Best Book 6-9 years olds, and the IBBY Honor List.