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. 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. 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.

 

There are 32 pages in this book. This book was published 2000 by American Psychological Association .

Cary Pillo a Fine Arts and Design graduate from Washington State University, has illustrated many children's educational materials and children's books, including A Terrible Thing Happened , Gentle Willow , Striped Shirts and Flowered Pants , and Tibby Tried It . She lives in Seattle. Margaret M. Holmes writes inspirational and self-help stories for children. In addition to A Terrible Thing Happened , she is the author of Molly's Mom Died , Sam's Dad Died , and Charlie's Brother (a story for the siblings of a child with special needs who is being admitted to residential care). Margaret and her husband, John, live near Des Moines, Iowa. They have two grown daughters and one granddaughter.