When the little girl in this story hears a knock at her front door, she is surprised to find Sadness standing on her doorstep with a large suitcase. She lets hims in and he follows her around, sits too close to her on the sofa and refuses to go away.
Sadness consumes her to the extent that all she can feel is sad, even when those around her are playing happily.
Trying to hide Sadness away doesn’t work so she tries a different approach. She gives him a name and she asks him why he’s here. She listens to what he needs and they learn to work together. They sit in comfortable silence, they draw, they cuddle, they go for walks and they accept each other.
Soon Sadness becomes a manageable part of the little girl’s day to day life and then just as suddenly as he arrived, he disappears.
This poignant and beautifully illustrated book does a wonderful job of showing children the transient nature of big emotions like sadness and why it is always best to address your feelings.
The visual representation of sadness is so lovely that Ivy always says she wants to cuddle him and make him feel better whenever we read this story. I also like that he is shown as a visitor, thus assuring children that his presence is only every temporary.
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