Riley Rabbit Learns About Death

by Ashley Hall

Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · Grief / Loss / Funerals / Emotional Support

A gentle story to help children understand grief, funerals, and healing — told through the warm eyes of Riley Rabbit and his mother.

Cover of Riley Rabbit Learns About Death children's book.

Project Overview

Riley Rabbit Learns About Death by Ashley Hall (Mascot Books, June 2022) is one of those rare children’s books that doesn’t flinch from a hard subject while still managing to feel genuinely comforting. When Riley loses a loved one, his mother walks him through what to expect — the funeral, the cemetery, the strange mix of sadness, confusion, and even anger that comes with grief. Hall’s writing validates every feeling without rushing past any of them, giving children the language and the permission to feel what they feel.

The illustration challenge was making anthropomorphic rabbit characters carry the full emotional weight of bereavement — grief is a deeply human experience, and the art needed to make young readers feel seen in Riley’s face and body, even through the gentle remove of animal characters.

Role

Character design (Riley, his mother, and family cast)
Full book illustration
Expressive anthropomorphic character work across emotional range
Visual storytelling and scene development
Print-ready file preparation

Selected Double-Page Spreads (Final Book Layout)

A rabbit boy crying under his blanket, mourning the passing of his uncle. — A boy crying under his blanket, mourning the passing of his uncle

Rabbit boy's friends consoling him at his uncle's wake. — Boy’s friends consoling him at his uncle’s wake

Rabbit boy and his mother placing flowers at his uncle's gravesite. — Boy and his mother placing flowers at his uncle’s gravesite

Rabbit boy beginning to accept his uncle's death by recalling shared good times. — Boy beginning to accept his uncle’s death by recalling shared good times

Book Details

ISBN-13

978-1637550090

Publisher

Mascot Kids

Publish Date

June 7, 2022

Reading Age

6 – 8 years

Page Count

38 pages

Format

8″ x 10″ Hardcover

Available at:

Amazon

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