What happened: One Thursday Afternoon

by Barbara DiLorenzo

#OneThursdayAfternoon #NetGalley

I’ll begin by saying that I wish that we did not need this book but, since we do, all credit to the author/illustrator for this sensitive title. As can be seen in the cover art, Ava is not smiling. At first, she does not want to tell her Grandad what is wrong. Wisely, he gives her time, and time in nature, to let Ava share at her own pace.

What is bothering Ava is school lock down drills. They must be very scary for schoolkids.

Grandad empathizes and listens. He reminds Ava that there is beauty in the world too and that he is always there for her.

As the school year begins, teachers may want this book in their classrooms. Families may also want to share this one with their children. Counselors know that it can be easy to want to avoid the tough topics but think about getting this book for your child. It is not less scary to ignore reality. In fact, perceptive kids know what is going on and wonder why adults don’t acknowledge it.

Thank you to this author for taking on a hard topic in a soft way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flyaway Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 06 September 2022