Following her cancer diagnosis in 2004, Doris Davis wrote a story using a frog theme to explain cancer to her grandchildren. Her son, Jeff Davis of Greenwood, Indiana, illustrated the story “Communicating Cancer to Children” and the story became a book.

Valentines Day of 2007 was the first time the book was shared outside the family. This happened during a hospital visit in Sebring Florida. The reaction was so positive; Doris and her husband Bob continued to call on medical facilities as they returned home, among those contacted was Grady Hospital in Atlanta. Grady serves a population having high numbers of newly diagnosed terminal cancer patients; feed back from social workers continues to confirm the books are helping the children and grandchildren of cancer patients. Before the end of that first year, Doris and her book received full page covering in the Humana Active Outlook magazine. This extended an awareness of her book all across the US.

The following year (January 2008) Doris introduced her second book; “The Jumpy Lumpy Grumpy Frog” is all about helping children through grief. This book was prompted by the suggestion of an Atlanta hospice center and was destined to take the frogs into funeral homes. During 2009 the third book in the series “Good-Bye Grandpa Frog”, was featured in a national publication to funeral homes, all three books are wonderfully illustrated interactive stories that touch the hearts of readers.

Having experienced the impact of a cancer diagnoses Doris knows first hand the benefit offered by her book, “Communicating Cancer to Children”. Reaching individuals facing the need to explain their cancer to children and grandchildren continues to be a driving force within the company. Doris is now involved in writing her next book, this book will become a source of comfort and understanding for children experiencing Alzheimer’s within their family.

What about funeral homes?

Cuddled within the confines of change, more funeral homes are becoming user friendly to children. This is a fact the Davis’s have learned during their 500 or so personal visits to funeral homes across several states during the past two years.

Below you will find a few other things learned during those visits.

• Caring can become more than a word.
• Caring for children can be more than a toy room.
• Children’s materials can be more than generic coloring books.
• When funeral homes reach out to children, parents and grandparents pay attention!
• Over a hundred independently owned funeral home locations are now using the books.
• The presentation of these books to an adult with children or grandchildren provides a unique moment for staff to connect with families in a meaningful way.

DEATH  has come to your house, or that of a friend. CHILDREN are in the picture! Is there help?

GOOD-BYE GRANDPA FROG is a story about death and funerals. This book allows the child to imagine grandpa frog hopped in to help them understand the death of their loved one.

Try READING GOOD-BYE GRANDPA FROG with the child.

The book contains a helpful letter to the parent or responsible adult, a glossary and crayons to assist in communication with the child.

HELP Those ten and younger to understand what's happening to the family, by looking into this book for kids (sometimes adults). Written to show in a light-hearted way, what traditional funerals and cremation services may be like.

Helping Children Through Grief books are  often used with families after the funeral, the books provide opportunities for meaningful follow up visits with the families they have served and build trust among new families in the community.

The FROG in the book translates the stages of GRIEF into children’s language and offers Meaningful Things To Do, Memory Pages and Hope as the frog experiences life from winter through spring and on into remembering the Good Times.

Please read through the book with your child, adults need to be available for answering questions.

Remember  “ I don’t know” can sometimes be the most truthful answer you can give.

Cheryl O.
Funeral Director/Owner
Heritage Funeral Home & Cremation Services Columbia, TN. 

"We have purchased several of each of the frog books.  The books have been a wonderful tool for us and parents in helping children deal with a sickness or loss.  The children enjoy coloring the pictures and making the pages beautiful.  The parents love the idea of using the frogs to help explain death to their children. Children are used to cartoon characters because of the many cartoons on television and dvds and become attached to them.  They also like stuffed animals, which helps them feel comfortable associating with animals.  It amazes them that frogs think and talk, so they listen. The frog books are great to have on hand to give children plus it makes them feel special to get a gift.  I hope you continue to write and I encourage other funeral homes and doctors offices to consider having them to give out in certain situations."

We are proud and honored to offer the Jumpy Lumpy Frog books to the families we serve who have young children.  Generations Funeral Home was the first funeral home that Doris and Bob contacted in promoting their books.  We are confident that the interactive books give valuable insight and understanding to the children in their coping with grief and the loss of their loved one.  Not only do we offer them to our families but we also keep a couple in the children’s area at all times.  Doris and Bob are passionate about helping young people with such a difficult situation they face.  We are grateful to them for their ministry in providing this source of information and comfort to our community.

Susie N.
Generations Funeral Home
3309 Ballard Lane
New Albany, IN  47150
(812)949-9900