
Something Sad Happened helps children process their feelings after experiencing the death of someone they love and provides comfort through the story of Sunny the bluebird.
Sunny is a little bluebird who loves to sing happy songs until the death of Wren. Sunny's heart hurts because she misses her friend, and she doesn't feel like singing anymore. But Sunny's Mama and forest friends gather around her, teaching her how to share her sadness with God and others. Sunny learns to remember what she can count on about God's love and care and all the love she shared with Wren.
Darby A. Strickland uses the story of Sunny to help parents and caregivers walk with children through the complexities of grief and the questions that come with a loss. A special section at the end of the book gives parents tips for helping their children express their sorrow to God and offers ideas for remembering a loved one.
“Darby has given us a great approach for ministering to grieving children. Reading Sunny's story introduces children to common reactions to loss and asks questions they might not be able to formulate on their own. And her final comments to caregivers offer more valuable insights about how to help little broken hearts in a Scripture-informed way. Thank you, Darby, for remembering our children.”
Jeff Forrey, Senior Writer/Content Developer, GriefShare.org
“As much as we'd like to protect our children from the effects of life in a fallen world, we can't. One day, someone they love will die, and their tiny hearts will experience tremendous grief. Thankfully, Darby Strickland's gentle and helpful book guides little ones (and their adults) through the deep waters of sorrow, leading them to the unshakeable truths of who our good and kind God is. This is a book you may hope you won't need, but you'll be very glad you have.”
Megan Hill, Managing Editor, The Gospel Coalition; author of Sighing on Sunday: 40 Meditations for When Church Hurts; pastor's wife and pastor's daughter, mother of four
“In this beautiful book, a seasoned counselor and mom gives parents and grandparents a tender aid to slow us down and help us listen and talk openly with our children about the pain of loss. Best of all, she points all of us to the comfort of God found ultimately in the promises of Jesus. I love this book!”
Paul Tautges, Pastor; counselor; author of several books, including A Small Book for the Hurting Heart, Remade, and Anxiety: Knowing God's Peace
“When a loved one dies, knowing how to comfort children is not always intuitive. Darby's newest book provides both a resource for parents and a story that beautifully ministers to little hearts. Through Sunny's honest pain and the care she receives from her community, children hear it's ok to be sad, even as they learn to receive the comfort from the promises Jesus has made to them.”
Lauren Whitman, Faculty & Counselor, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF); author of When Parents Feel Like Failures and A Painful Past
“Loss cuts into our life and leaves us reeling. If it's true for us as adults, how much more so for children. Darby Strickland's new children's book, Something Sad Happened, helps children understand and express their grief. Through an engaging story, children will learn of God's love and care for them in the midst of their sorrows. Something Sad Happened is gentle and inviting, biblical and Christ-centered. It is a helpful and needed resource for parents of grieving children.”
Christina Fox, Author of Tell God How You Feel and The Great Big Sad: Finding Comfort in Grief and Loss
“Mama doesn’t have easy answers to the suffering of grief. Instead, she embraces her daughter in her mourning and grieves together with hope in Jesus. True to form, Strickland refuses to leave parents without first offering an abundance of practical ideas to honor and remember their loved ones. Thank you for this gift, Darby.”
Aaron Sironi, Faculty & Counselor, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF)
“In this sweet and tenderly worded book, Darby teaches children that it’s not only okay to express feelings of sadness and grief, but that they can bring them honestly to Jesus, who holds their tears and comforts them with his promises and presence. Grieving parents will likely find their own hearts encouraged in the process.”
Sarah Walton∫ Author of The Long Road Home; coauthor of Hope When It Hurts
“Guiding children through a significant loss is one of the heaviest responsibilities a caregiver can bear. Darby's book gently persuades little ones that God desires to be near to the broken hearted. This book will comfort each of you as you grieve together.”
Jenny Solomon, Cofounder of Solomon SoulCare; author of Reclaim Your Marriage
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Dealing with the loss of someone they love can be very difficult for young children. Darby Strickland has written a touching picture book that could help children better deal with the loss of someone through death (or even through moving away, although that is not mentioned in the story). The book closes with text aimed at parents and caregivers about helping children through loss and sad events. Even though the characters in the book are animals, Illustrator Thais Mesquita did a very good job of showing emotions in their facial expressions. Something Sad Happened would be a great book for pastors, teachers, or caregivers to have on hand to share with families who lose someone they love.
This book was well written and was perfect for a little girl whose beloved grandma passed away.
This is by far the most precious and poignant book on grief and lament (perhaps one of the very few) for children: and we’ve read MANY since the sudden death of my youngest of four children. I absolutely love how the author exemplifies lament for children and adults by allowing Sonny to sing her sad songs, by showing friends who encourage such and even enter into her sorrow with her. After reading this to my 9year old son he asked, “why doesn’t our church do this?” It broke my heart, but made me very aware of children’s need for lament and desire for such; and I’ve shared it with our church family. My youngest- now in Heaven- loved to be read to and to “read” herself. She would have loved this precious book.
If there’s a child in your life, maybe even your own, who has lost a loved one recently, this book is a beautiful comfort to help navigate grief. After Sunny loses her friend Wren, her mom and other woodland animals remind Sunny of God’s promises: that God is with us, that He tucks us under His wing, that He collects all our tears, and that one day if we believe in Him, we will live in Heaven forever where there will be no more tears or death or sadness. This book tells children that it’s okay to be sad and how we can bring all of our sad feelings to God who knows and understands us. It also includes some very helpful pages at the end of the book to help parents or caregivers navigate loss with children and bible verses that can provide comfort. There is also a super thoughtful inclusion of ideas for remembering loved ones including keeping a memory box, planting something that honors them, singing their favorite song or hymn and lots more.
Wow! This book has beautiful truths centered in Scripture about grief. I appreciate how realistic the approach is to helping children grieve. There’s no talk of loved ones as cardinals, angels, etc. It’s just dealing with grief from a Christian perspective. I also appreciate that the back has a few extra pages of tips/ideas for parents in teaching children how to lament and remember. This book is so needed in this space, and I’m grateful my child, who lost his dad as an infant, will learn from this book for years to come. I’ll also be sharing it with all of my widow friends to add to their collection. It’s that good.
“Something Sad Happened” is a tender and meaningful children’s book that deals with grief and loss. I love the compassionate way this story deals with loss and sadness. When Wren dies, Sunny the bluebird is so sad. Her mother sees that she is grieving and comforts her. Mama bluebird and other forest friends visit with Sunny, and they all remember the wonderful things about Wren. They also share the way God is always there for each of us, even when we are sad, and comforts us, cares for us, and never ever leaves us. If you know a child who is grieving the loss of a loved one, I highly recommend this book. Although it deals with a difficult topic, it does so with grace, gentleness, and compassion. The easy-to-understand narration and beautiful full-page illustrations offer comfort and empathy. #CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.