Magination Press A Terrible Thing Happened

Recientemente mi hijo ha comenzado la escuelita, así que comencé a buscar la manera de enseñarle que podrían pasar cosas que le causen conflictos en su cabecita pero no quería ser muy agresiva con el tema, así que esté libro me pareció buena idea, y lo fue.El tema es un mapachito con cambios de humor debido a que presenció algo muy feo, nunca se menciona qué más al final del libro enfatizan que puede ser desde un mal trato, hasta un accidente, algo que a la mente de un niño pueda ser demasiado para procesar, y muestra como el mapachito va teniendo problemas y como pudo solucionarlo, la historia es sencilla y directa, guía al niño a comunicar lo que siente y a buscar formas de no quedarse él solo con el conflicto. Sigo practicando el tema con él para lograr la comprensión lo mejor posible (tiene 2 años), pero si recomiendo el libro, nos gustó mucho.

As a child counsellor, I use this book frequently and is just the thing to help children make sense of the reactions they feel to witnessing or experiencing a bad event. It also reminds children it's not their fault what happened which is an essential message for them. Sometimes having this in a book makes the truth of this statement more 'official'.

"A Terrible Thing Happened" is a wonderful book for any child that might be coping with having witnessed something shocking or tragic, as well as a very nicely illustrated picture book. What actually attracted me to the book was its illustrations, but I was drawn in by the story as well.The book is about Sherman, a young raccoon, who as the title suggests, witnessed something terrible. We don't find out what it was that Sherman witnessed, which allows the book to be used for a variety of situations. We do learn that keeping his feelings inside has affected Sherman in a number of negative ways, including feelings of anxiety, not sleeping well, and eventually acting out and hurting others. Fortunately, Sherman gets the help of a caring counselor at school. The language is simple but nevertheless straightforward and appropriately-detailed and the afterword section, "A Note to Parents and Caregivers," offers a number of a well-thought-out suggestions, as well as a list of other helpful reading material. The illustrations go well with the text, at times dark representing Sherman's feelings, but also very soft and tender, and bright as things start to look up. The counselor's office is presented as a very reassuring place that would be welcoming for a young child, with a soft, pastel-colored carpet, a vase of flowers, a small and tasteful display of stuffed animals on the top of the bookshelf and comfortable furniture.One thing I really liked about this book is that despite the situation covered being very generic, the main character, Sherman, is not generic. Although it is somewhat subtle, he is given a personality. For example, we told that it is normal for Sherman to tease his sister. Perhaps not the most admirable thing, but nevertheless something that kids do. Also, when he is asked to draw a picture of how he felt when he is angry, it is said that it "seems strange" to him but that he did it anyway. Again, a subtle sign of personality, as for some children this may feel like a normal and natural way to express their feelings. Readers are also reassured that Sherman is not a "bad kid," that when he started getting into trouble at school for acting out, he felt bad, as this wasn't normal for him.I think this book would be great for a variety of situations and audiences. Though it is clearly targeted at young readers, the story would resonate with anyone in a similar situation, as it is very well-presented. At the end of the book, readers are presented with a simple, reassuring message.

As a child therapist, working with trauma and violence, this book is one of my "must haves" in the consultation room. Kids get it at the first read, and helps them to understand what they are being put through.

This book explores things that are very hard to discuss with younger children especially. I use it in my work. It has been very helpful.