The Saddest Time

by Norma Simon, Jacqueline Rogers (Illustrator)

Norma Simon offers three stories to help children talk about death--an uncle with a terminal illness, a classmate killed in an accident, and a grandparent.

Genres: Death, Grief, Picture Books

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Norma Simon has published more than fifty books for children. Her books
have the special quality of engaging children because they deal with experiences which have rich emotional meaning for them. Her books explore a
wide spectrum of topics ranging from playful accounts of children and pets,
from the pleasures of a rainy day (WET WORLD is her most recent book for
Candlewick) to books which help children deal with death and separation.

Ms. Simon has had a lifetime of experience working with children as a
teacher, parent, and, for more than twenty-eight years, working as a
volunteer with the children in her local elementary school.

Her formal education includes a B.A. from Brooklyn College and,
significantly for her career, an M.S. from Bank Street College of Education.
As a pioneer in "progressive" education for children, the Bank Street
College philosophy of early childhood education continues to influence her
work.


On a personal note, Norma Simon grew up in New York City. Her parents came
from Europe as adults. Her extended family all shared a big brownstone
house in Brooklyn, New York, where she lived until she was six with her
parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.


For the past thirty years, Norma and her husband have lived on Cape Cod,
Massachusetts. She enjoys fishing on Cape Cod Bay, clam digging, hunting
for wild mushrooms, gardening, cooking and--when she has time--reading.

Reviews

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has three different scenarios of death- a young uncle, a child (friend), and a grandparent. It is meant to show different kinds of death that a child might encounter. It helps to talk through what it's like and what kinds of things might happen. It is very clearly a child of the 80's and the "Very special episode" type of genre.

[Shay Vande · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the kind, but honest approach to this one. It gave a few different examples of death (naturally of old age, middle-aged from illness, far too young from an accident). It compared the human death to other things in nature that children may be more familiar with.

The pencil illustrations of realistic portraits with models felt perfect for the soft, real tone of this book.

[Tina Alston]

Great book to read in therapy for those who are in the middle/towards end of a grief cycle..

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explains death as the inevitable end of life and provides three situations in which children experience powerful emotions when someone close has died.

[Marvelyne]

Displays different ways of grief and how to deal with emotion and pain. There is no way to stop death, but our reaction to it. Helps children understand that death is a natural process.