A Shelter for Sadness
by Anne Booth (Author) David Litchfield (Illustrator)
This poignant and heartwarming story explores the many faces of sadness and addresses the importance of mental health in a child-friendly way.
A small boy creates a shelter for his sadness so that he can visit it whenever he needs to, and the two of them can cry, talk, or just sit. The boy knows that one day his sadness may come out of the shelter, and together they will look out at the world and see how beautiful it is.
In this timely consideration of emotional wellbeing, Anne Booth has created a beautiful depiction of allowing time and attention for difficult feelings. Stunningly atmospheric illustrations by David Litchfield personify sadness as a living being, allowing young readers to more easily connect with the story's themes of emotional literacy.
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School Library Journal
Gr 1-5--This story imagines sadness as a fuzzy blob with stick arms and legs that lives right outside the child, a metaphor intended to help readers accept and cope with sadness. Booth and Litchfield propose not only accepting sadness, but actually trying to take care of it by building a shelter and keeping it safe. The shelter has sensory items that sadness might find pleasant, e.g., a candle, lamplight, or the scent of roses. There are also times to leave sadness alone and to go experience other feelings. The art work is simple but evocative, in an atmospheric palette befitting the story's content. This would be an excellent conversation starter for readers who are grappling with strong emotions or for lessons on SEL. VERDICT An excellent choice for collections needing resources on social emotional learning, aimed at those students who already think abstractly. --Debbie Tanner, S. D. Spady Montessori Elem., FL
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
Mental health
Sadness
