Bye, Love You, Bye

In Tiddleton Hollow, feelings have a way of becoming something children can see and understand.

Some feelings are bright and playful. Others are restless and difficult to settle. And sometimes, a feeling comes along that's bigger than anything a child has experienced before.

For Dominic and Dylan, that feeling arrives when their beloved Papa dies.

The boys have always known the familiar words that ended their conversations with him.

"Bye, love you, bye!"

Three little words, spoken with affection, that once meant another conversation would come tomorrow.

But now, those words mean something different.

As the boys struggle to understand why Papa isn't coming back, they begin asking the questions that so many children ask when someone they love dies.

Where did Papa go? Why can't we see him anymore? Is it okay to cry? Will we ever stop missing him?

Through the gentle guidance of their family, and the imaginative creatures of Tiddleton Hollow, Dominic and Dylan begin to discover that grief isn't a feeling they have to hide, hurry through, or understand all at once.

Sometimes sadness comes with tears. Sometimes it comes with questions. Sometimes it arrives in the middle of laughter, when a happy memory reminds us of someone we miss.

And sometimes, something as small and beautiful as a butterfly can help us remember that love has a way of continuing, even when life changes.

Bye, Love You, Bye doesn't promise that saying goodbye will be easy.

It reminds children that they don't have to face it alone.

Children often encounter loss before they have the words to explain what they're feeling.

They may understand that someone is gone without fully understanding what death means. They may ask the same questions repeatedly, experience sadness one moment and happiness the next, or worry about what might happen to other people they love.

At its heart, Bye, Love You, Bye helps children explore:

• Understanding Death and Loss: Introducing the difficult reality of death through age-appropriate language, loving conversations, and a story children can follow.
• Recognizing Grief: Helping children understand that sadness, anger, confusion, fear, and even moments of happiness can all be part of grieving.
• Asking Difficult Questions: Encouraging children to talk openly with parents and caregivers, even when the answers aren't simple.
• Remembering Someone They Love: Showing how stories, memories, familiar words, and everyday moments can help preserve a loved one's place in a family's life.
• Finding Comfort in Faith: Offering gentle spiritual reassurance while allowing children the freedom to wonder, question, and seek understanding.
• Understanding That Love Remains: Helping children recognize that death changes a relationship, but it doesn't erase the love, memories, and meaning that relationship brought into their lives.

All of this unfolds through storytelling rather than instruction.

Children don't need to be told how they're supposed to grieve.

They need to know that whatever they're feeling, someone is there to listen.

Bye, Love You, Bye was born from something deeply personal.

As authors, parents, and grandparents, we wanted to create a story that could help two young boys understand something no child should have to face without love and support: the death of someone who has always been part of their world.

The words "Bye, love you, bye!" weren't invented for this story. They were words spoken in real life, part of the familiar affection shared between a grandfather and his family.

They were also among his final understandable words to one of the boys.

What had once been a simple, everyday farewell became something far more meaningful.

We knew that explaining death to children wouldn't be as simple as telling them someone had gone to Heaven. Children have questions. They want to know where someone went, why they can't come home, and whether the people they love might disappear, too.

And sometimes, those questions don't have answers that fit neatly into a bedtime conversation.

So we wrote this book.

Not to take away their sadness.

Not to convince them that everything would be okay by morning.

But to give them, and the grown-ups who love them, a place to begin.

Like the other stories from Tiddleton Hollow, this book gives difficult feelings a shape children can recognize. But unlike the playful wiggles of the Tumbletots or the everyday emotions of the creatures, grief is something that can't simply be calmed away.

It must be felt, understood, and carried with love.

We hope this story helps families find comfort in memories, courage in difficult conversations, and reassurance in knowing that love doesn't end when a life does.

There's no perfect way to explain death to a child, and there's no single conversation that will answer every question.

Bye, Love You, Bye is intended to be read together, slowly, allowing children to respond in their own way and at their own pace.

Let Them Ask Questions

Children may interrupt the story to ask what death means, where someone has gone, or why people die. These questions are an important part of understanding. It's okay not to have every answer. Sometimes the most meaningful response is simply listening.

Make Room for Every Feeling

A child may cry, become quiet, laugh at a memory, or seem completely unaffected. Grief can look very different in children than it does in adults. Help them understand that no feeling is wrong and they don't have to be sad every moment to show how much they loved someone.

Share Memories Together

Talk about the person who died. Remember the things they said, the moments that made everyone laugh, and the little traditions that made them special. Invite children to share their own memories, even if those memories seem small.

Reassure Them That They're Loved

Children sometimes worry that other loved ones will disappear or that something they did caused the death. Reassure them that they didn't cause what happened, that they're cared for, and that the adults in their lives are there to help them through their feelings.

Return to the Story When They Need It

Grief doesn't follow a schedule. A child may want to read the book again days, weeks, or months later. Familiar stories can provide comfort as their understanding grows and their questions change.

Above all, remember that the purpose of this book isn't to finish a conversation about grief.

It's to help begin one.

• Children ages 4–8 who are beginning to understand death, grief, and remembrance.
• Parents and caregivers looking for a gentle way to discuss the death of a loved one.
• Grandparents and extended families helping children navigate the loss of someone important in their lives.
• Teachers, counselors, and grief-support professionals seeking story-based opportunities for meaningful conversations.
• Families of faith who want to offer spiritual comfort alongside honest and compassionate discussions about loss.

Although written with young children in mind, Bye, Love You, Bye may also resonate with older readers who remember the people they've loved and lost.

This book is especially suited for reading together in a quiet, supportive setting where children feel comfortable asking questions, expressing emotions, or simply sitting close to someone who loves them.

Sometimes the hardest part of helping a child through grief is finding the words when you're grieving, too.

You may be struggling to understand your own loss while trying to explain it to someone who has never experienced death before.

You don't need to have all the answers.

You don't need to hide every tear.

And you don't need to make their sadness disappear.

Sometimes the most important thing you can do is sit beside them, listen to their questions, hold them when they cry, and remind them of the love that remains.

Because goodbye is something we say. Love is something we carry.

And sometimes, three little words can stay with us for a lifetime.

Bye, love you, bye.