Resources

Change the world (one conversation about death at a time).

I’m an apprentice. I still have a lot to learn. Maybe we can learn together? This list isn’t comprehensive, nor does it pretend to be, but I’ve found a lot of value and diversity in these resources.

Is there a book, movie, podcast, or organization I need to know about? Or is there a topic you’d like to learn more about, but don’t know where to start? Send an email to hello@deathsapprentice.ca and let’s learn together.

Hospice Palliative Care

Green Burial and Alkaline Hydrolysis

Ritual and Ceremony (secular)

Becoming an End of Life Doula, Death Educator, or Funeral Director

Medical Assistance in Dying

Grief Resources

Books for Adults

Books for Children

Books on the Death of a Parent

Community Support and Home Death-care Resources

Independent or Family-Owned Funeral Providers in BC’s Lower Mainland

Hospice Palliative Care Resources

Green Burial and Alkaline Hydrolysis

  • Water-based cremation. Water-based cremation (aquamation or Alkaline Hydrolysis) is not currently legal in BC.  It is a method of disposition that has just 1/10th of the of the carbon footprint of flame-based cremation and uses 90% less energy.  The climate crisis makes it absolutely imperative that a greener disposition option is available in BC.  Please sign this petition urging the BC government to bring alkaline hydrolysis to BC.

  • Green Burial Society of Canada

  • Green Burial BC

  • Webinar: Going Green (Death’s Apprentice Free education series)

Ritual and Ceremony (secular)

Interested in Becoming an End of Life Doula, Death Educator, or Funeral Director?

Medical Assistance in Dying

Grief Resources

Books (and my Favourite Movie) for Adults

  • Being Mortal by Atwal Gawande

  • Advice for Future Corpses (and those who love them): A practical perspective on death and dying  by Sallie Tisdale

  • The Five Invitations by Frank Ostasteki

  • When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

  • The Needs of the Dying by David Kessler

  • Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying by Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelly

  • Finding Meaning (The Sixth Stage of Grief) by David Kessler

  • The Mourner’s Dance: What We Do When People Die by Katherine Ashenburg

  • A Beginner's Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death by BJ Miller and Shoshana Berger

  • Departures (movie) by Yojiro Takita

Books for Children

  • Death is Stupid by Anastasia Higginbotham

  • When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death by Laurene Krasny Brown

  • Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying by  Joyce C. Mills

  • Cry Heart, but Never Break  by Glenn Ringtved

  • Ida, Always by Caron Levis

  • Duck, Death and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch (also a short film!)

  • Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss by Pat Schwiebert and Chuck DeKlyen

  • The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages by Leo Buscaglia. 

  • Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Byran Mellonie &  Robert Ingpen

  • Saying Goodbye to Lulu by Corinne Demas. Illustrated by Ard Hoyt (pet death)

  • Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories by Audrey Penn. Illustrated by Barbara L. Gibson (friend death)

  • Ben’s Flying Flowers by Inger Maier. Illustrated by Maria Bogade. (sibling death)

  • The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers (grandparent death)

  • The Butterfly’s Promise by Julie Ovenell-Carter (grandparent death)

Death of a Parent

  • Missing Mummy: A book about bereavement by Rebecca Cobb 

  • The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages by Leo Buscaglia. 

  • Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children by Byran Mellonie and Robert Ingpen. 

Community Support and Home Deathcare Resources

Independent or Family-Owned Funeral Providers in BC’s Lower Mainland