Something Scary Happened: Helping Children with Trauma
- MPN:
- 9781645073857
Description
Something Scary Happened helps children process their feelings after experiencing a trauma and provides comfort through the story of a little lamb named Miles.
Miles is a happy little lamb until something bad happens. All of a sudden, Miles feels like he is alone in a deep dark valley, but it is there in the valley that he meets his good Shepherd who promises to always be with him, no matter what.
Counselor and trauma expert Darby A. Strickland uses the story of Miles to help parents and caregivers share the comfort of taking their fears to the good Shepherd by applying Psalm 23 to difficult experiences. Through a special section at the end of the book, Strickland helps parents recognize the feelings and behaviors children might have in response to their trauma and guides them in how to help children talk about what scared them.
- First book in the Comfort for Children in Hard Times series, edited by biblical counselor Darby Strickland, addressing difficult experiences that children commonly face and offering gospel hope and help.
- Children ages four to seven will be drawn to the playful illustrations by Carlotta Notaro.
- The companion minibook, When Children Experience Trauma: What to Do When Something Scary Happens by Darby A. Strickland is also available to give parents and caregivers more detailed help.
- Also available, a plush Miles toy lamb that gives kids something soft and comforting to cuddle when they're scared and serves as a tangible reminder that the Shepherd who comforted Miles is also with them.
Endorsements
"With gentle words and engaging illustrations, Miles the lamb and Psalm 23 will help your child bring those hard-to-speak, scary feelings to both you and to Jesus."
Ed Welch, Faculty and counselor, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF); author of Someone I Know Is Grieving
"I wish there were a hundred books like this. Kids who go through pain or trauma need simple, vivid hope they can see and cling to. Something Scary Happened does exactly that. It takes seriously that deeply harmful things happen and yet teaches that we can run to the true refuge as we struggle: a Shepherd who will hold onto us."
Alasdair Groves, Executive Director, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
"Through the story of Miles the sheep, Darby Strickland provides parents and caregivers a means to safely speak with children about their own scary situations and, more importantly, connect them to the Good Shepherd, who is always with them. Something Scary Happened is a precious gift to our children especially those who have experienced trauma, harm, or fear."
Chris Moles Founder of PeaceWorks; author of The Heart of Domestic Abuse, and editor of Caring for Families Caught in Domestic Abuse
"In our broken world, trauma and suffering are not only experienced by adults. In Darby's latest resource, she compassionately takes hurting children to the truest and most stable source of comfort they can find the Good Shepherd. Don't let the idea of a children's book fool you rich, biblical theology flows from page to page as children are brought close to the Lord in the midst of their scary and hard things. I know I'll be reading this with my family, and I trust you will as well."
Jonathan Holmes, Executive Director, Fieldstone Counseling
"This beautiful book gently helps little ones who have faced a traumatic event learn not just that their reactions make sense, but more importantly, that they have a Good Shepherd who deeply loves them and will never let them go. May God use it for healing wounded little ones he so deeply cares about."
Kelly M. Kapic, Professor of Theological Studies, Covenant College; author ofEmbodied Hope: A Theological Meditation on Pain and Suffering
"Reading books to children is such a formative time. Neither parent nor child will ever forget those sweet moments. In Something Scary Happened, Darby Strickland teaches children to put their fears into words that become prayers as they find comfort in the Good Shepherd, and parents to become ambassadors of God's comfort to their children. You and your child will love story time infused with such practical, gospel-saturated life skills."
Brad Hambrick, Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church, Durham, NC; author of Angry with God: A Honest Journey through Suffering and Betrayal
"How do we in this generation 'speak up for those who have no voice . . . and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy' (Proverbs 31:8Ð9)? In her comforting book, Something Scary Happened,Darby Strickland brings to light the unspoken challenges trauma sufferers often face. This book helps children and adults understand how trauma can express itself and explains how the pathway to healing and understanding can begin in reconnecting with the Good Shepherd, whose promises bring stability, hope, and peace in the midst of pain."
Crystal Keating, Host of the Joni and Friends Ministry Podcast
"In this tender resource, Darby seamlessly weaves timeless gospel comforts with age-appropriate biblical counsel. This book not only helps children to express the pain and confusion that so often arises in the wake of traumatic events, but gently guides them to talk to Jesus when they feel anxious, angry, or alone."
Christine Chappell, Author of Midnight Mercies: Walking with God through Depression in Motherhood; certified biblical counselor
"Something Scary Happened is a gift to those struggling to help children impacted by trauma. In my work with abused women, I have often bemoaned the lack of resources for their children, but this book is a game-changer! I believe it will help both children and their parents process trauma together, bring healing by strengthening parent/child bonds, and help them recognize the hope and help available to those who belong to our Good Shepherd."
Joy Forrest, Executive Director, Called to Peace Ministries
"We love how Something Scary Happened points children and their caregivers to the Good Shepherd who is always with them and whose love is 'stronger than any scary thing.' This sweet meditation on Psalm 23 and John 10 is comforting, practical, and full of hope. Highly recommend!"
Deepak and Sarah Reju, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC. Deepak is the author of On Guard and coauthor of The Pastor and Counseling and Build on Jesus, and Sarah is the author of Jesus Saves
MIX, MATCH & SAVE
Apply coupon code MIXNSAVE to your shopping cart
- Buy any 10 - 24 products and save 25% off retail price
- Buy any 25 - 49 products and save 30% off retail price
- Buy any 50 - 99 products and save 35% off retail price
- Buy any 100 or more products and save 40% off retail price
*Some exceptions apply
Related Products
Miles Lamb Plush Toy
Something Sad Happened: Helping Children with Grief
A Big Change Happened: Helping Children Through Upheaval
Why Do We Say Good Night? When You Are Afraid of the Dark
Angels on Your Side: When You Are Feeling Scared
When Children Experience Trauma: Help for Parents and Caregivers
Something Scary Happened Package
Comfort for Children in Hard Times
12 Reviews
-
Excellent resource for young children
This is such a helpful book that helps children work through something difficult without getting too specific.
-
Gentle and Impressive!
This little book took a gentle look at a way for children to process a "scary", or in some cases traumatic, experience. I loved the author's application of the words of one of the most read Psalms in the Bible, Psalm 23. And an easy one for children to memorize as well.
-
Great Book
Using and applying the words of a very familiar Psalm, this children's book acts as a guide to work through and talk through all the feelings of fear left by scary and often traumatic memories. And so beautifully illustrated! The final pages in the back of the book are full of helpful suggestions for parents or significant adults to carry the conversations forward.
-
Great Book
Using and applying the words of a very familiar Psalm, this children's book acts as a guide to work through and talk through all the feelings of fear left by scary and often traumatic memories. And so beautifully illustrated! The final pages in the back of the book are full of helpful suggestions for parents or significant adults to carry the conversations forward.
-
Excellent
Miles is a little sheep who loves playing with his friends. He doesn't have a worry in the world until one day when something scary happens. It is never mentioned what that scary thing is. It is only mentioned generally and that Miles doesn't know what to do after the scary incident. He is confused as he wonders if it was his fault. He tries to forget it but can't. He has trouble eating and sleeping and gets angry more easily. This all results in Miles feeling very alone. But Miles isn't and was never alone. Based on Psalm 23 and John 10, the good Shepherd is always with Miles. The good Shepherd is Jesus. In the back of the book, there is some extra help about guiding children impacted by trauma. There are also key promises from Ps 23 and Jn 10 to review with kids.
-
Excellent
Miles is a little sheep who loves playing with his friends. He doesn't have a worry in the world until one day when something scary happens. It is never mentioned what that scary thing is. It is only mentioned generally and that Miles doesn't know what to do after the scary incident. He is confused as he wonders if it was his fault. He tries to forget it but can't. He has trouble eating and sleeping and gets angry more easily. This all results in Miles feeling very alone. But Miles isn't and was never alone. Based on Psalm 23 and John 10, the good Shepherd is always with Miles. The good Shepherd is Jesus. In the back of the book, there is some extra help about guiding children impacted by trauma. There are also key promises from Ps 23 and Jn 10 to review with kids.
-
Great Book!
Miles the sheep used to have a carefree life and sound sleep. But then something scary happened. Since then sleep has been hard, his tummy feels off, and he has many worries. Can anything help? This combines elements of Psalm 23 and post-traumatic helps from psychology to help Miles be restored to more peace, reminding him that Jesus is always with him and is his good shepherd, as well as giving him activities to do to calm down and sleep well. There are extensive resources in the back of the book for adults helping a child after a traumatic event. There are absolutely no details about what happened to Miles, it just says something scary happened with no visual depiction, so the story itself shouldn't traumatize kids. The helps could help kids with bumps in the night to much more serious traumatic events.
-
Great Book!
Miles the sheep used to have a carefree life and sound sleep. But then something scary happened. Since then sleep has been hard, his tummy feels off, and he has many worries. Can anything help? This combines elements of Psalm 23 and post-traumatic helps from psychology to help Miles be restored to more peace, reminding him that Jesus is always with him and is his good shepherd, as well as giving him activities to do to calm down and sleep well. There are extensive resources in the back of the book for adults helping a child after a traumatic event. There are absolutely no details about what happened to Miles, it just says something scary happened with no visual depiction, so the story itself shouldn't traumatize kids. The helps could help kids with bumps in the night to much more serious traumatic events.
-
Something Scary Happened
We ordered a copy for each elementary classroom at our school. Since the "scary thing" is generic, we're able to use the book for unexpected events on campus or other community disturbances. One person then ordered a copy for her adult friend who has cancer.
-
Beautiful way to share comfort with a child
Gave this to a friends grandchild who doesn’t go to church and this 6 year old asked if the shepherd was God!