Loss is a part of life. And explaining loss to a child can feel almost impossible. For Chloe James, experiencing loss as a child was transformative. Losing her father at the young age of 12 shaped her understanding of life, love, and grief. Now, 16 years later, she’s using that understanding to help others find their way through loss and grief.

A Story Rooted in Transformation

Chloe’s debut children’s book, When the Dragonfly Finds the Sky, offers families a way to approach conversations about grief and loss. Inspired by the life cycle of a dragonfly, this story illustrates how dragonflies spend most of their lives underwater before rising to the sky, undergoing a beautiful transformation that renders them unable to return to the home they once knew. Beautifully illustrated by Chloe herself, this book offers a visual experience families will love.

“It gave me something to hold onto,” Chloe says, explaining how the life cycle of a dragonfly resonated with her in her grief as a child. “It helped me understand that, even though my dad wasn’t here, he wasn’t gone in the way it felt.”

From Childhood Comfort to Motherhood Purpose

That early moment of comfort stayed with her, shaping how she processed loss over the years. But it wasn’t until she became a mother that the story took on new urgency—and new purpose. Faced with the reality that her daughter would one day ask about the grandfather she never met, Chloe found herself wondering how to explain something so complex in a way a child could understand.

She returned to the one thing that had once helped her. “Instead of searching for the perfect words, I turned to the one story that once helped me,” she says. “By sharing my personal story, I help normalize conversations around grief and emotions, especially for young children who may not have the words for what they’re feeling.”

The result is more than a children’s book—it’s a bridge families can use to help guide their children through loss without fear, confusion, or complexity.

“Sharing this story meant being vulnerable in a way I hadn’t been before,” Chloe admits. “There’s always that fear of how it will be received, or if it will truly help the families I created it for.”

A Full-Circle Moment of Impact

Early responses have already confirmed the impact Chloe’s story has had. One moment brought everything full circle. A close friend, who had recently lost her own mother, reached out to say she’d purchased the book—not only to explain the loss to her child, but also as a comfort measure for herself.

“My friend told me she believed the story would help her process her own emotions, while also giving her a way to guide her child,” Chloe says. “That’s when I knew I was truly making a difference.”

Chloe’s mission is simple, yet impactful: to make grief feel less isolating and more understood.

“If my book can help even one child feel less confused, or one parent feel more confident having that conversation, then I know I’m making a meaningful difference.”

With this debut release, Chloe James isn’t just making a bold introduction as an author—she’s offering something far more lasting. It is a reminder that even in loss, love doesn’t disappear—it transforms. And sometimes, through stories like hers, it finds a way to rise again.

To purchase your copy of When the Dragonfly Finds the Sky, visit Amazon.com.