Helping Children Impacted by a Trauma
The world can be scary place, and any number of experiences can prove to be traumatic for a young child. Something Scary Happened (New Growth Press/October 16, 2023) by Darby A. Strickland helps children process their feelings after experiencing a trauma and provides comfort through the story of a little lamb named Miles.
Miles is a happy little lamb until something bad happens. All of a sudden, Miles feels like he is alone in a deep dark valley, but it is there in the valley that he meets his good Shepherd who promises to always be with him, no matter what. Strickland, a counselor and trauma expert, uses the story of Miles to help parents and caregivers share the comfort of taking their fears to the Good Shepherd by applying Psalm 23 to difficult experiences.
“I work with many parents whose children are facing trauma and adults who experienced trauma as children. Talking about trauma (to God and others) is critical to healing, but many parents do not know how to help their children through trauma,” Strickland shares. “We have a faithful shepherd who can help parents and children, so I wanted to create a resource steeped in truth but could make a connection point for parents to talk to and guide their children through life’s distresses.”
Children ages four to seven will be drawn to the playful illustrations by Carlotta Notaro, and the story will minister to both parent and child, by explaining how one might feel after a scary or traumatic event. Something Scary Happened will remind children of their faithful shepherd, who will never leave them, but also acknowledges the reality that it will take time to heal.
Through a special section at the end of the book, Strickland helps parents recognize the feelings and behaviors children might have in response to their trauma and guides them in how to help children talk about what scared them. Also included are key promises from Psalm 23 and John 10 to talk about together. “The deepest delight of God’s heart is to care for his children, and he has appointed us as his under-shepherds to help care for them. After a traumatic event, your shepherding can make a child feel safe and loved by you and the Lord. You can help children navigate their fears, guide them through their distress, and assist their recovery.”
Strickland has also written a companion minibook, When Children Experience Trauma: What to Do When Something Scary Happens, which gives even more detailed help for parents and caregivers. Parents can also purchase a Miles toy lamb to go along with Something Story Scary Happened. The plush Miles gives kids something soft and comforting to cuddle when they’re scared and serves as a tangible reminder that the Shepherd who comforted Miles in the story is also with them.
Jonathan Holmes, executive director of Fieldstone Counseling writes, “In our broken world, trauma and suffering are not only experienced by adults. In Darby’s latest resource, she compassionately takes hurting children to the truest and most stable source of comfort they can find—the Good Shepherd. Don’t let the idea of a children’s book fool you—rich, biblical theology flows from page to page as children are brought close to the Lord in the midst of their scary and hard things. I know I’ll be reading this with my family, and I trust you will as well.”
Something Scary Happened is the first book in the Comfort for Children in Hard Times series, addressing difficult experiences that children may face and offering gospel hope and help. Future titles will include Something Sad Happened, slated release in the fall of 2024, followed by A Big Change Happened in early 2025.
Something Scary Happened
Comfort for Children in Hard Times Series
By Darby A. Strickland, Illustrated by Carlotta Notaro
ISBN 978-1-64507-385-7
October 16, 2023 / Retail Price $16.99
Religion / Christian Education / Children & Youth
Darby A. Strickland, MDiv, is a faculty member and counselor at the Christian Counseling & Education Foundation (CCEF). Her speaking and writing focus on training churches and counselors to care well for those who have been victims of trauma and abuse. Strickland is the author of Is It Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims, the children’s book Something Scary Happened, and the minibook When Children Experience Trauma. She is also a contributor to Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused and Caring for Families Caught in Domestic Abuse. She writes regularly for the Journal of Biblical Counseling. Strickland and her husband, John, have three children. Learn more at www.darbystrickland.com and follow her on Facebook (Darby A. Strickland) and Instagram (@darby_strickland).
About the Illustrator: Carlotta Notaro is an Italian illustrator and animator. Sometimes she draws for kids, other times she draws for grown-ups, and occasionally she makes little animations for herself. Somehow, one of her animations ended up on a giant screen in Hong Kong. When not drawing, she enjoys long walks with her favorite music, upcycling old stuff, and petting her dog Molly for way too long.
