Midnight Moth: Children's Book on Death

If you are not already aware of the amazing work done by Dead Good CIC then do check out their work and follow them on social media. As fellow social entrepreneurs it is a great honour to be able to support the work of the Vigurs sisters and we are also very excited that they will be joining us at the Ash & Seed ConFest in May to run workshops. More details on that in due course. Here are the details of their magical Midnight Moth project helping children understand death and death rites.

The Midnight Moth is a beautifully illustrated, 48-page picture book created by DEAD GOOD CIC. It is designed to help children meet death through imagination, ritual, and relationship with the natural world. The Kickstarter campaign to print the first hardback edition is now live and you have the chance to pre-order a copy if you would like (link below).What makes this book differentRather than explaining death to children, the story invites them into practice, tending and care.

After the lyrical story ends, the book opens into guided pages where young readers help the non-binary, non-human characters Moona and Luno to:

• create a simple memorial ceremony for the Midnight Moth
• choose nature-based symbols of gratitude, hope and goodbye (water, stones, feathers, seeds, leaves)
• design sound and silence within a ritual
• make a paper memorial object as an act of remembrance

It’s a gentle rehearsal space, rooted in ecological cycles and more-than-human kinship that mirrors the approaches many of us use with individuals and families: participation, creativity, and consent-led ritual rather than scripted, adult-only models.Why this matters for our fieldConventionally, children are often present at deaths and funerals yet rarely offered meaningful roles.
This book:

• supports child-inclusive and child-led ceremony design
• gives doulas and educators a tangible resource for conversations
• frames death within life cycles, seasonality, and interspecies care
• avoids euphemism while remaining developmentally sensitive
• complements home vigils and community-led rites

Practitioners have told us it feels like 'a bridge book' something you can place between families and the practices we support, without needing specialist language.About the creatorsThe book is written and illustrated by Lindsey Vigurs, a disabled, neurodivergent artist and co-founder of DEAD GOOD CIC. The story was first written fifteen years ago and completed after a period of serious illness, making the project itself an act of persistence, embodiment, and care.How Kickstarter works (this is a pre-ordering model)This is not a donations appeal. Kickstarter is being used so people can pre-order copies from the first print run.

• We need 225 pre-orders to send the hardbacks to print
• If the target isn’t reached, no money is taken from our backers
• Backers receive the book and optional bundles

How you can supportIf this book would be useful to you or your practice. You can pre-order a copy here:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deadgood/the-midnight-moth-an-illustrated-picture-book-by-dead-good There is also an option to sponsor a copy of the book that will then be gifted to a local school library, family project or children's charity (look for LUNO under the 'reward' categories).We would love this book to reach the hands of practitioners who understand that death and grief are ecological, relational, and more-than-human and that children belong at the heart of ceremonies.Thank you for the work you do in tending endings with imagination and care.Warmly,
Katy & Lindsey
DEAD GOOD CIC
www.deadgood.org@DeadGoodLegacies