A Terrible Thing Happened: A Story for Children Who Have Witnessed Violence or Trauma

by Margaret M. Holmes, Sasha J Mudlaff, Cary Pillo (Illustrator)

A gently told and tenderly illustrated story for children who have witnessed any kind of violent or traumatic episode, including physical abuse, school or gang violence, accidents, homicide, suicide, and natural disasters such as floods or fire.

Sherman Smith saw the most terrible thing happen. At first he tried to forget about it, but soon something inside him started to bother him. He felt nervous for no reason. Sometimes his stomach hurt. He had bad dreams. And he started to feel angry and do mean things, which got him in trouble. Then he met Ms. Maple, who helped him talk about the terrible thing that he had tried to forget. Now Sherman is feeling much better.

Children who have witnessed violence or other traumatic incidents are at surprisingly greater risk for committing violence in the future than are children who have actually been involved in such events. The event might be a car accident, domestic or school violence, suicide, or a natural disaster such as a tornado, flood, or fire. Regardless of the type of incident, child witnesses often react by trying to forget or ignore the experience. When their feelings are pushed underground in this manner, these children may begin to feel bad in ways they don’t understand, and become angry as a result of feeling bad. It is this anger that can give way to violence.

Caring adults can make all the difference by helping children talk about and understand the experience. An afterword by Sasha J. Mudlaff written for parents and other caregivers offers extensive suggestions for helping traumatized children, including a list of other sources that focus on specific events.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Mental Health, Parenting, Emotion, Animals, Counselling

Paperback

Published June 17, 2020

Reviews

[Solmaz Fatehi · Rating 5 out of 5]

چه کتاب خوبی!!!

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am building up my library collection that helps children deal with special situations. This book is designed to help children heal post-trauma. The trauma is unnamed so it could be an accident, domestic violence, or natural disasters.

The main character is a raccoon named Sherman Smith who is very easy to relate to. The book shows Sherman going about his normal activities but trying to ignore the 'terrible thing' that he saw. Trying to shut it out wasn't working anymore. Sherman had to play more and sing louder to shut it out. He lost his appetite, he had stomach aches, and often felt sad.

Sherman's bad dreams started to make him angry at school so he did mean things and got in trouble all the time. Sherman meets Ms. Maple, a therapist, who helps him think about his feelings. Ms. Maples helps him heal and understand it is not his fault. That she is a therapist is unstated, merely inferred from her being different than his parents and classroom teacher. The book explains that Sherman's symptoms have receded and he is feeling 'much better now.'

Several practical things I appreciated about this title: it is short (so one doesn't have to stay in a story about trauma for very long). The trauma is unnamed so it could be used in multiple situations. There are tips for parents and caregivers, including 15 suggestions. There are additional helpful resources listed at the back of the book. The book does an excellent job of portraying a therapist and their role. It could also help children in a classroom with a traumatized student understand why that child is traumatized, possibly creating empathy.

This book is published by Magination Press, which has a whole bunch of titles to help children through tough problems in their lives.

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for kids dealing with trauma. I wish my family had had this book in our library.

[Karissa Knauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Terrible Thing Happened" is a book about a young boy named Sherman who saw the most terrible thing happen. After he tried to forget about it, something inside him started to bother him. He felt nervous, his stomach started to hurt, he was sad, he didn't sleep well or would have bad dreams, and all of these things started to make Sherman angry. This led him to getting in trouble at school often. That all changed when he met Ms. Maple who helped him talk about the terrible thing he tried to forget. This book explains the symptoms of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) in accessible ways that children can understand. The book also talks about the importance of talking about traumatic things to help feel better. The book does not specifically state what happened to Sherman, so it could be useful in many situations such as for students who have witnessed physical abuse, school or gang violence, accidents, homicide, suicide, and natural disasters. The book also offers parents/caregivers suggestions for helping traumatized children based on what they have experienced.

This book is very realistic, even though the characters are animals, because it explains all the symptoms of PTSD in a simple way that children can understand or even relate to if they are experiencing PTSD. I really loved how the book didn't just describe all the emotions Sherman was feeling, but it also shows young children how talking with someone about how they are feeling can help them feel better. I think this book is appropriate for students of any age, because talking about the importance of mental health is crucial in the classroom, even for young students. Since the book doesn't explicitly say what Sherman went through I think the book is appropriate for younger students because it is written in an accessible way that is easy for students to understand and possibly relate to. Even though I haven't personally experienced something traumatic and I don't deal with PTSD, I know that many students might, and reading a book like this may encourage them to seek the help they need.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reason for this book is in the title.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

A teaching story for traumatized children, walking a school-aged raccoon through the emotional and behavioral sequelae of witnessing something that he can't cope with and then sending him through therapy with a friendly bear. Never names the trauma so it's more plug-and-play, but also says he SAW si.ething, rather than saying he EXPERIENCED something, so in that way it's less so. Still a great tool.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is appropriate for children (and adults) who have experienced a traumatic event, crime, or death. It encourages helpful communication and counseling in a non-threatening and easy to understand manner. It explores the thoughts, feelings and behaviors that can come as the result of witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event in the immediate aftermath and long after the event has passed. This non-judgmental approach is expressed through comforting illustrations, providing a safe-place for discussion and healing. Appropriate for ages 4 and up.

[Adrianna Hassell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This children's book gently addresses the concept of trauma. It shares how our body might react to something we have witnessed or experienced. We may not be sleeping very well, have bad dreams, feel worried or angry for no reason, and many more possibilities. We hear a young boy Sherman's story and how he is experiencing all of these new things because of something terrible he saw. Over time, he gets help from Ms. Maple. They talk and draw together and he begins to feel much better.

This story would be a great mirror for children who have experience or witnessed something traumatic. It will help them understand that it is not their fault and it is a good thing to talk about it rather than try to ignore what happened. This also can serve as a window for someone who has not had an experience like Sherman. It will be a guide for them if they ever were to have something similar happen to them in their life or give them a little more understanding on someone who might be acting like Sherman.

This would be a great children's book to have in homes, schools, or locations that work with young children.

[Rivka Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Terrible Thing Happened by Margaret Holmes is a contemporary realistic fiction book intended for children between four and eight. This book is about a young boy who witnessed trauma and how he felt about it afterward. It goes into his emotions and physical symptoms and how he sought out help from a trusted adult and found comfort and healing in expressing his feelings and emotions. This book I think is extremely integral for children when dealing with trauma-related anxiety. It will show children that what they are feeling is normal and that their emotions are valid. This book also encouraged children to talk about their feelings and emotions to a trusted adult and that although what they witnessed is scary and cannot be changed there can be healing from it. I think books that encourage the narrative of mental health are so important for children to read that is why I gave this book a 5/5.
A Terrible Thing Happened was awarded Mom's Choice Award for Children's Picture Books and Gelett Burgess Children's Book Honor.

[Hannah Bustos · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Terrible Thing Happened" is a story about a raccoon named Sherman who witnessed a terrible, scary incident. At first he tries to deal with his fear by ignoring what he saw, however he quickly realizes that doing so does not make his bad feelings go away.Sherman has trouble sleeping, feels sick, and gets anxious and angry all the time. This leads to him getting into trouble frequently at school. He then meets Ms. Maple who helps Sherman share and understand his feelings. Sherman finally opens up about the terrible thing he saw, and talking about it with Ms. Maple helped him feel much stronger. I really enjoyed this book and the message it holds about PTSD. I thought that it was realistic while still being told in a way that a child could understand and relate to. While the story didn't shy away from showing the lows of PTSD, it also showed that you are able to deal with it in a healthy way. Although the result was not immediate, time and support helped Sherman understand that he is not to blame for what happened.

[Lauren Krebs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a raccoon named Sherman Smith who experienced some type of trauma. He kept thinking of the incident and didn't know how to get those scary memories out of his mind. He went to Ms. Maple, the guidance counselor, and they would play games, color, and talk. After Sherman was able to let his feelings out he felt much better and stronger. I feel like this book is so incredibly important to read to students because it shows them that by talking to a trusted adult and letting out their feelings, they can feel a lot better. If a student has experienced some type of trauma it is so important they tell a trusted adult so that the student can get help. I think this book is great for children 4-8 years of age.

[Johanna Florez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate that this book leaves the "terrible thing" unnamed, keeping the story universal for any children who have experienced trauma, while still including that the child finally discussed the terrible thing with a trusted counselor. I feel that this would be valuable to reread throughout a child or family's ongoing experience with trauma to remember that it's normal for the manifestations of trauma to change over time. I also think it could put children and families at ease about what happens in counseling for traumatized children... Talking and playing and drawing until the child feels better and can cope better. I hope this book makes many people feel very seen when they can't act like themselves due to things they don't want to discuss.

[Abigail Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for children who are experiencing trauma. I think that the author did a smart thing by never specifying what happened or what the little boy raccoon saw because this book could be used for practically anything. I also liked that adults were there to help the little boy and his pain and the trauma wasn't just looked over. It's important for children to know that their are resources for them and that they don't have to keep the pain to themselves. For some children it may be helpful to see that a little boy raccoon figure is the one experiencing the trauma so that they are more open to hearing the story since it's slightly detached from them.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We got this book after having a home birth that unexpectedly ended in a still birth. This helped vocalize the things that our children saw in a way that they could describe to us how they were feeling, as well as helped us as the adults know how to look for the signs of what they were feeling. It has helped us know which routes to take and what ideas to try with our kids. They are doing MUCH better since reading this book with them and working on some of the suggestions in the book and in the back of the book. I highly recommend for any traumatic situation your child may have experienced. It’s vague enough to fit any situation.

[Kaci Beesecker]

In this book, Sherman the raccoon witnesses something terrible (which is not described further) and begins to have intrusive thoughts, trouble sleeping, somatic complaints, anxiety, anger, and sadness. After he began getting into trouble at school, he went to see Ms. Maple (a therapy bear).

This book could be used more in a counseling session than in the classroom unless you give a heads up to the parents and/or student(s). You could read the book aloud and then have discussion questions that can be answered either as a group, one on one, or on a piece of paper that gets turned into the teacher.

[Jacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sherman saw something terrible happen, and even though he tries to forget about it, it gets harder and harder to. He starts to get angry, gets in trouble at school, and feels bad. Sherman starts talking through his feelings and what happened with Ms. Maple, and he starts to feel much better after sharing. I love how this book keeps the “terrible thing” open, so it can apply to many different situations. There are some tips in the back for adults to help children through traumatic situations they have witnessed.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate that this book needs to exist, but it is a good thing that it does. Sherman sees an unnamed traumatic event. Because it is unnamed, it can be used for kids who have experienced any number of different traumas. At first, he tries to ignore it, and it even kind of works for a while. But then it begins seeping out, in bad dreams, and stomachaches, and angry outbursts. He learns how to deal with his trauma slowly with the help of a counselor. I like that it never says that all of his issues go away - they just become more manageable.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was loaned to us after our daughter died Nov 4, 2016. It was to help our son (now 5, was for at the time) try to work through some of the anger her was feeling. It helped, a lot. We read it all together (daddy, mommy, son) and each talked about the feelings when the raccoon reacted to different situations. I felt that it was very helpful and would recommend it to anyone that has not only experienced a death but abuse, assault, neglect, and being in the foster care system.

[Heather Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent tool for clinicians working with young children who have experienced trauma. It gently introduces the idea of going to therapy and talking about "the terrible thing" that has happened, and normalizes many of the thoughts, feelings and responses kids might have after going through a trauma. I particularly like that Sherman's "terrible thing" is never specified, so the book is useful for any type of traumatic event.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely plan to buy this book!
This is such a helpful way to explain how a child might see something terrible (without elaborating on what the “thing” was), how he may not know what to do about it, and specifically in this story how someone helped him talk about it and recover from it.
Most every child experiences something like this, and this book is such a helpful non-confrontational way for children to realize it is normal and that they can recover.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sherman decided not to think about the terrible thing he saw."

After Sherman sees something terrible, he decides to bury his feelings. And that decision causes all kinds of problems for Sherman: he had bad dreams, he doesn't feel like eating, he has trouble sleeping, and he is very angry. His anger starts to come out at school, which gets him into trouble. Finally, he talks to a counselor about his feelings and things begin to change.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the little raccoon and the other animal children in this. It’s rather didactic but not to annoying with it. Sso there’s lots of space for the kids it’s written for to find commonalities, and if you are reading it to other kids, just because it’s a book or maybe because they have friends who have seen violence and are reacting like this, it’s also a story that kids can read to acquire compassion.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is clearly written as bibliotherapy for children.

It's intended for kids who saw something happen that was bad. In the story, Sherman sees something bad and is affected by it. He's mean to others at school. He's angry. He doesn't eat. He just shuts down. He learns that he can open up through drawing and talking.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherman experiences an unnamed traumtic event, and this story follows the subsequent events and feelings that come after a traumatic event happens. This would be a wonderful book to use to discuss who are safe people for students to open up to, and why its important to share feelings no matter how hard it is.

[Kaitlyn RItchie]

This gently told and tenderly illustrated story is for children who have witnessed any kind of violent or traumatic episode, including physical abuse, school or gang violence, accidents, homicide, suicide, and natural disasters such as floods or fire. It introduces the importance of meeting someone who will help them talk about the terrible thing, and help them feel better.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SUPER important to talk about. It explains how Sherman witnessed something traumatic in his life. He started acting out, feeling anxious, angry, sad, etc. He finally met with a therapist and talked about all of his feelings. It made him feel better and realize that he CAN talk about his feelings!

[Matthew Tessnear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrible things happen to most all of us—many of us at young ages—and we need help dealing with them. This is a beautifully representative story of that often-dreadful journey with hope that it can turn out better.

[Bella Herrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well written book to help kids understand what they might be going through in a better way and learn how to cope. Traumatic situations are put in the form of characters that can easily resonate with the kids that need it.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The “terrible thing” is vague, so this book could be used to talk about many traumatic experiences with children. It helps establish a positive and safe counseling relationship. Talks about the importance of opening up about trauma rather than just trying to forget about it.

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful book for carers to read with a child that has witnessed a traumatic event. There is a very helpful note at the end for carers providing a guide on how they can deal with a child affected this way. Also there is a further reading list.