About Peanut Butter and Donner: Sweet Annie’s Grieving Tree by Erin Rosenblum, MFT
Sweet Annie’s Grieving Tree is a gentle, emotionally attuned picture book about grief, friendship, and healing designed to help young children navigate big feelings in developmentally appropriate ways. Through the eyes of three animal friends- a shy bunny named Peanut Butter, an outgoing and confident parakeet named Donner, and a new friend Sweet Annie the duck- readers are guided through the experience of loss with warmth, empathy, and hope.
When Annie arrives one morning looking quiet and sad, her friends notice something is different. With tenderness and patience, they create space for her to open up and learn that someone she loves has gone away. Instead of offering quick fixes or cheerful distractions, her friends stay with her in the hard moment, offering quiet company, shared memories, and small acts of love. Together, they discover that grief doesn’t look the same for everyone and that they each had their own experience with grief and dealt with their emotoins differently allowing for it all to be ok. They learned through each other that healing happens in soft, everyday moments of connection and that time allows for the creation of a new normal.
Written by licensed therapist Erin Rosenblum and Illustrated by Aubree Rosenblum, Sweet Annie’s Grieving Tree draws from her clinical experience, personal loss, and deep respect for children’s emotional worlds. It’s the second book in the Peanut Butter & Donner series, a collection of heartfelt animal stories rooted in empathy, emotional literacy, and relational safety. This story explores the wide range of grief, not just death, but also losses stemming from natural disasters, disrupted routines, big life transitions, or unexpected goodbyes.
With soothing rhyme, inclusive emotional language, and expressive illustrations, this book helps children:
Understand and name feelings of grief and sadness
Learn that all feelings are welcome
See how empathy and presence can support someone in pain
Build emotional resilience and trust in their own healing process
Ideal for ages 5-10, Sweet Annie’s Grieving Tree is a trusted resource for:
Grief books for kids and preschoolers
Children’s books about loss and emotional expression
Parents, therapists, educators, and caregivers looking for gentle conversation starters about sadness and change
Community helpers and first responders supporting children through trauma or displacement after a natural disaster
Whether you are helping a child process a death, a move, a fire, or a sudden change, this story reminds us that being present and loving is often the most powerful thing we can offer.
Preorders on Amazon begin November 2025 for National Child Grief Awareness Month. POD purchases available November 2025 and follow us on Instagram for a special discount available only to our Instagram followers!
Buy the book, and follow the author on social media:
Learn more about the writer. Visit the Author’s Website.
Author Bio:
About the Author
Erin Rosenblum is a licensed therapist and children’s book author who brings warmth, clinical insight, and professional expertise to every story she writes. For over 15 years, she has supported teens and adults navigating anxiety, grief, life transitions, and emotional overwhelm. Her training in developmental psychology gives her a deep understanding of how children experience and express emotions-especially the ones that are hardest to name.
Erin’s childrens books reflect her core belief that stories can be both playful and powerful as children navigate hard feelings. Through emotionally grounded narratives, lyrical rhymes, and relatable animal characters, her work gently supports social-emotional learning, builds emotional literacy, and invites conversations about big feelings. Whether it’s fear, sadness, bravery, envy, or shyness, her stories are written to soothe, validate, and empower young readers.
Her books are widely appreciated by parents, caregivers, educators, and first responders seeking child-centered tools to support emotional growth, comfort through change, and resilience in times of unfamiliar stress. With developmentally sensitive storytelling and an accessible voice, Erin’s work bridges the gap between clinical insight and everyday connection.
When she’s not writing or working in her practice, Erin enjoys time with her family and friends, and cozy moments at home with her beloved pets, including the real Peanut Butter the rabbit and Donner the parakeet. Her books are born out of a deep respect for children’s emotional worlds and a belief that stories can help kids feel seen, safe, and strong.
About the Illustrator
Aubree is a rising artist whose passion for creativity shines through in everything she does from art and storytelling to school, sports, and time with friends. A true multi-talented creator, she brings heart, sensitivity, and curiosity into every project she takes on. Sweet Annie’s Grieving Tree marks her second collaboration on the Peanut Butter & Donner series, and once again, she has poured her love of color, character, and emotional storytelling into every page.
In this story, Aubree’s illustrations gently guide readers through one of childhood’s hardest experiences: grief. With warmth, empathy, and attention to detail, she captures the emotional arc of the story, from quiet sadness and unspoken fears to connection, comfort, and hope. Her ability to translate complex emotions into imagery helps children feel supported, understood, and safe as they move through the pages.
Each visual element was carefully crafted to reflect the layered feelings woven into the text. Aubree’s illustrations offer a soft landing place for young readers, helping them make sense of grief not only through words but also through expressive facial cues, cozy spaces, and moments of stillness. Her work adds richness, depth, and quiet magic to a story meant to support children and families through sadness and healing.
Her artistic style blends playful imagination with emotional depth, allowing her illustrations to be relatable to children struggling with the overwhelming feelings of grief and loss. She has a natural gift for visual storytelling.
When she’s not drawing, painting, or crocheting, Aubree can be found spending time with friends, exploring new creative projects, playing sports, or diving into her schoolwork with the same thoughtful energy she brings to her art. Her love of learning, empathy, and visual talent come through on every page making her an essential part of the Peanut Butter & Donner world and a young artist to watch.