Red Chocolate Elephants is an educational DVD and book resource for children and families bereaved by suicide. “I feel upset and angry that my Dad died…and there has just been a lot of sad thoughts in my head…I was sad and I wanted to say… I just wanted to talk to him and say, why? Why did you do this? But I couldn’t, and then I just started crying with the rest of my family.” (bereaved boy, John, 8)

Initial response to Red Chocolate Elephants:
“The Red Chocolate Elephants is a remarkable resource for children bereaved by suicide, particularly those who have lost a parent to suicide. In a world where children are often forgotten mourners, this unique combination of text, pictures, and voices – all in the words of bereaved children themselves – is a treasured safe haven for young people to hear their fears, questions, and difficulties put into words by other children just like them. The volume gives us a narrative text for caregivers to read aloud with children.

The text speaks directly to children, and is simply illustrated with the drawings and quotations of children who have lost a father to suicide. Even better, the accompanying DVD offers these same youngsters speaking their words aloud as we also see their beautiful and moving drawings of their experience.

Together, the book and the DVD will be an excellent resource for parent and child to use together in trying to face the suicide of a loved one. In writing and producing Red Chocolate Elephants, Dr. Diana Sands has given children everywhere who are bereaved by suicide a wonderful gift for beginning their journey of healing.”

John R. Jordan, PhD, registered psychologist, Fellow in Thanatology, Founder and past Director of the Family Loss Project, Clinical Consultant Samaritans Boston Grief Support Services, Professional Advisor Survivor Council of American Foundation Suicide Prevention, International author.

About the publisher - Dr. Diana Sands is the Director of the Bereaved by Suicide Service, Sydney, and has for over two decades provided community education, training, family counselling and group programs for adults, adolescents and children. Diana lectures on Loss and Grief, Suicide Prevention, Postvention and Intervention and has presented seminars and workshops in Australia and overseas based on her research in suicide grief and the "Tripartite Walking in the Shoes Model of Suicide Bereavement". She has held Committee positions with the National Association for Loss and Grief and Suicide Prevention Australia. The Red Chocolate Elephant children and this project hold a very special place in her heart as her mother at an early age lost her dad through suicide. At that time there were no books available for children on this subject. It is hoped that today this book will find its way to comfort children in making meaning of this devastating loss and support their growth through grief.

The Red Chocolate Elephants project was supported by WINGS of Hope Inc., the voice of people bereaved by suicide. Red Chocolate Elephants is an educational DVD and book resource for children and families bereaved by suicide. Donations enable this project to continue and further copies to be distributed to assist the bereaved community.