Why Do Families Change? Read-Along

Our First Talk About Separation and Divorce

read by Jillian Roberts, illustrated by Cindy Revell

tagged: marriage & divorce, emotions & feelings, parents, stepfamilies

Description

Separation and divorce are difficult on the entire family.

Often young children blame themselves or are unsure of their place in the family if these events occur. Child psychologist Dr. Jillian Roberts designed the Just Enough series to empower parents/caregivers to start conversations with young ones about difficult or challenging subject matter.

Why Do Families Change? is part of the Just Enough series. Other topics in the series include birth, death and diversity.

About the Authors

Jillian Roberts

Dr. Jillian Roberts is a child psychologist, author, professor at the University of Victoria and mother of three children. Considered a go-to child psychology expert for journalists, Dr. Roberts is a contributor to the Globe and Mail, Global News and CBC. She is the author of two bestselling and award-winning series of children’s books: the Just Enough and the World Around Us series. Dr. Roberts' most recent titles (Calm and My Promise) are for the very youngest of readers and focus on building child resilience. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Cindy Revell’s illustrations have been used on billboards and wine bottles, and in magazines and numerous children’s books all over North America. She has worked with clients like Disney, Penguin Putnam, the L.A. Times and Scholastic. Her illustration of Mallory and the Power Boy (Annick Press) was nominated for a Governor General’s Literary Award for children’s book illustration. She lives in Edmonton.

Age:: 3 to 5
Grade:: p to k
Reading age:: 3 to 5

Awards

Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets

Editorial Reviews

"Using upbeat, colorful illustrations and straightforward text, Roberts reassures kids that they are loved and that divorce or separation is not their fault...Potentially scary concepts, such as moving, are made accessible...A helpful tool for adults seeking to explain divorce to elementary students."

— School Library Journal

"Cindy Revell's colourful illustrations capture the emotions that parents/caregivers and their children may feel...Why Do Families Change? is an excellent book to remind children that it's not their fault if their parents decide to separate or divorce and that they are still part of a family...and that the one thing that remains constant is the love that their family has for them. Highly Recommended."

— CM Magazine

"Children will feel understood and less alone when they realise they're not the only ones with these questions. And they will appreciate the simple, honest answers and their reassuring tone…Why Do Families Change? takes a complicated topic that's difficult to talk about, and breaks it down into simple, matter of fact answers. Its reassuring tone is helpful to both children and parents."

— Butterfly Books blog

"This would be a perfect 'just in time' book to use with a young child to help explain the confusion of separation and divorce...The beautiful and engaging colour illustrations lend a storybook quality to the book that helps with its accessibility for younger kids."

— Resource Links

"The answers throughout the book are realistic and appropriate...A useful resource for a common issue."

— Kirkus Reviews

"A useful tool for explaining to children that the world is different, but not worse, when their parents separate."

— BarTalk, BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association

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Apple Books