Words of Comfort: Reassuring Tales for Our Traumatic Times

The most enduring image from this month’s attack on a Jewish community center in Granada Hills will certainly be the line of preschool children, hand in hand, being led to safety.

The heart-rending scene inspires two questions: How can we begin to explain the inexplicable to a child? And how can we help our children feel safe and secure again?

Pasadena author Eve Bunting was one of those who reached out to comfort children after the Los Angeles riots. Her book, “Smoky Night,” (Harcourt Brace & Co., 28 pages, $15), remains one of the best tools for parents trying to reassure children whose worlds have been shaken by traumatic events.

“Smoky Night” won some of the top prizes in children’s publishing, including a Caldecott Medal and a Parent’s Choice Award, when it was released in 1994. It tells the story of Daniel, his mother and their cat, Jasmine, who are forced from their apartment by an arson fire. The fire also displaces Mrs. Kim, a neighbor, with whom the family has never been friendly.

Predictably, the story ends on a note of hope and with a plea for racial tolerance. But what sets the book apart is the sense of chaos and desperation in Daniel’s dialogue; even the youngest beginning reader will be able to understand his fear and dislocation.

Another thought-provoking book is “Stormy Night” (Kids Can Press, 240 pages, $18.95), a remarkably deep yet simple book from Montreal artist Michele Lemieux that is appropriate for children--and adults--of all ages. The book’s premise is built around a young girl who has gone to bed but cannot sleep. Fears such as “I’m scared of being abandoned” and questions like “What exactly is fate?” flood her mind and onto the pages of Lemieux’s book, where they appear alongside stark yet complex black-and-white line drawings.

Each pair of pages is intended to start discussions about such questions as the meaning of life and the existence of God. But keep in mind that this prize-winning book, which will be available in the U.S. in a few weeks, only asks the questions; it’s up to each parent to provide the answer. Good luck.

Another book with a similar theme but a much more traditional approach is the 1990 release “Sam’s Worries” (Hyperion, 24 pages, $4.95), by Maryann Macdonald and illustrated by Judith Riches. Like “Stormy Night,” the book involves a child so preoccupied with worry he can’t sleep. Sam’s mother tries her best to comfort him, but the boy dismisses her advice.

Sam’s sage teddy bear, however, comes to the rescue. The bear volunteers to stay awake all night worrying about his problems so Sam can get some rest.

And, finally, BackYard Books, a tiny, no-frills publisher in Maine, takes a direct approach to addressing mostly real-life problems in its new “I’m Safe” series of 32-page paperbacks ($5.95 apiece). The six-book set by Wendy and Paul Gordon uses entertaining cartoon stories to teach safe steps to use at the mall, on bikes and in the pool. For more information, contact the authors online at https://www.imsafe.com.