The Dragonfly Secret by Clea & John Adams

Colorful and reassuring, The Dragonfly Secret is a children's book about a mom and dad who lose their little boy. The little boy befriends a dragonfly named Lea. Lea wants to know where the little boy is from and what his name is, and he tells her she will find out soon if she can help him by doing three things.

Along the way, the dragonfly meets the little boys grandparents and they give her the next set of instructions. Finally, the little boys parents come to the garden to grieve the loss of their son, and the dragonfly helps the boy by landing on his cap brought to the garden by his mom. Lea also touches the teddy bear brought to the garden by the little boys dad.

Finally, the parents understand that their little boy is communicating with them through the butterfly, and it assuages their grief. The couple call out "David, we love you!", and so the dragonfly learns the boys name as well as the fact that he exists in the afterlife.

The story is gently told with loving illustrations. Although I have found most reviewers feel this is a book for grieving children, I feel it would be more helpful to parents grieving the loss of a child. My seven year old read it and did not quite understand what was going on, although she really liked the dragonfly and the illustrations. Once I explained it to her she understood. The story is perhaps better for ages 8/9 and up, especially grieving adults.