“The Kukui Tree” (Island Heritage, $13.95), written by Jarrod Gatlin, can help parents start a conversation with children about grief and how to overcome it.

The tale of friendship between a monk seal and a native bird on Kauai starts as a story filled with adventure and laughter as the pair go zip-lining, singing and shopping. But the story takes a dark turn, unusual for a children’s book, when the bird is killed in a hurricane.

The monk seal says goodbye to his friend in a private moment on the beach and finds the strength to move forward and have new adventures after realizing his friend would not want him to wallow in sadness.

Gatlin wrote the story as a memorial for his best friend, Aaron Parker, who died in a car accident in 2000 at age 26.

The author, who lives in Indiana, received a grant from the Lilly Endowment to stay on Kauai for a month to research the animals and the habitats depicted in the book.

Beautiful illustrations were provided by Don Robinson.