I Don't Want to Talk about It: A story about divorce for young children

by Jeanie Franz Ransom, Kathryn Kunz Finney, American Psychological Association, Kathryn Kunz Finney (Illustrator)

Overview

When a child's parents tell her they have decided to divorce, the last thing she wants to do is talk about it. Instead, she wants to roar as loud as a lion so she can't hear their painful words, or turn into a fish and hide her tears in the sea, or even become a bird and fly away . But with her mother and father's help, she starts to consider what l ife will be like after divorce and learns that although some things wi ll change, many other things will remain the same. Most importantly, s he realizes that although her parents may not agree about much, one th ing they do agree on is that they both love her very much and will alw ays be her mom and dad.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781557987037
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	01/28/2000
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	28
Sales rank:	207,199
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

K-Gr 3-A competent piece of bibliotherapy aimed at helping children of divorce deal with their new, difficult, and conflicting emotions. Told by a young girl whose parents have just told her they are getting a divorce, the narrative then goes through the range of the child's possible emotions, as the adults suggest how she might be feeling. She, in turn, imagines herself to be an animal that would adequately express her emotions. When her father tells her that it's OK to be scared, her response is, "I wanted to be a lion with a roar so loud that everyone would think I was very brave." Assurances of her parents' continued love and that certain family rituals will remain the same make her feel better. Full-page illustrations capably portray the images in the text, especially the metaphors of the animals that the girl uses to express her feelings. The book concludes with a two-page note to parents suggesting ways to deal with their children's reactions. A worthy and appropriate addition to most parenting collections.-Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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