- Picture Books
- Ages 3–7
- Contemporary
Where Did She Go?
When her much-loved grandma dies, a little girl keeps hearing grown-ups say she has 'gone' or been 'lost', so she sets off to find her, looking under the sofa and in the park. A tender, gently funny picture book that helps the youngest children understand loss, from Cariad Lloyd and Tom Percival.
- Best for3–7
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
Tone
- Gentle
- Warm
- Bittersweet
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
A little girl's very special grandma has died, and everyone keeps saying the strangest things about it. They say she has been 'lost', that she has 'gone', that she has 'passed away'. Taking them at their word, the little girl goes looking: under the sofa, behind the flowers, at their favourite spot in the park. Each search is quietly funny and quietly heartbreaking, until at last someone explains, gently and honestly, what it really means when someone dies, and helps her see that the love and the memories stay with her always. Written with warmth and a light comic touch by comedian and Griefcast creator Cariad Lloyd, and illustrated by Tom Percival of the bestselling Big Bright Feelings series, Where Did She Go? is a reassuring, beautifully judged first book about bereavement, honest about loss yet full of tenderness, and a gift to any family helping a small child through grief.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A tender picture book for 3-7s designed to be shared with an adult, especially a family navigating a bereavement. It handles death honestly but gently, so it's best read together, and its warmth makes it a comforting rather than frightening read.
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- Best fit · 3–7
- Read aloud · 3–7
- Independent · 6–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: grief, death of character.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Bereavement support
- Big feelings
- Emotional literacy
- Gentle read aloud
Avoid if
- Wants light fun
- Recently bereaved and raw
Particularly good for children who are…
- Bereavement
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The little girl hunting under the sofa and in the park for her grandma makes complete sense to a young child, and the mix of gentle laughs and real feeling helps big, confusing emotions feel safe. It quietly answers the questions children actually have when someone they love has died.
- Being understood finally
- Cosy safety
Why parents love it
Cariad Lloyd, who knows grief intimately, and Tom Percival handle a hard subject with warmth, honesty and a lightness of touch that never tips into fear. It gives you the words to explain death plainly, gently pushes back on confusing euphemisms, and reassures a child that love and memory remain.
- Conversation starter
- Beautiful illustrations
- Bedtime appropriate
About the creators
About the creators.
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