Helping Children Talk About Their Scary Feelings
Who better than late PBS TV personality Fred Rogers to offer advice about helping kids deal with concerns about war and violence? For example: When children mention something frightening, find out what they know about it. (Their fantasies are often very different from the actual truth!) Listening carefully and respecting their concerns can assure them that they can talk about anything with you. Somewhere deep inside each one of us human beings is a longing to know that all will be well. Our children need to hear from us adults that we will do everything we can to keep them safe and to help them grow in this world.
Advertisments
Feature
Twin Balloons and Angels in the Sky
Book Addresses 9/11 Effects that Weigh on the Minds of Young Children
Two years after the tragic events of September 1l, 2001, parents and teachers continue to search for answers to questions posed by youngsters about the disaster. With each anniversary, children of all ages continue to struggle with its effects. A number of resource materials are available to provide educators at the higher grade levels opportunities to engage in discussions with their students, but teachers at the elementary school level continue to grapple with the issue.Now, a Massachusetts author has published an innovative, thought-provoking children's story tailored specifically to youngsters at these early grade levels. Rudy and the Magical Twin Balloons tells the story of September 11th as seen through the eyes of a young boy aptly named Rudy.
Kathy Rozek lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. As you may remember, two of the planes involved in the 9/11 tragedy originated from Boston's Logan Airport, and several people with Brookline connections were lost on those planes. Rozek is a single mother of a young boy who was eight years old at the time of the attack. In the confusion of the aftermath, he and his friends began asking questions, which she and many other parents and teachers in their community struggled to come up with answers for.
“The difficulty lies in balancing the desire to commemorate the anniversary of this tragic event in a way that does not evoke undue stress in these younger children,” says Rozek. "The concept of the story was born from an overwhelming desire to assist young children struggling to come to terms with the enormity of the event and its effects on them personally.”
The two red balloons in the story symbolize the World Trade Towers; the heroes are the thousands of innocent “angels” born on that fateful day; the title character honors former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani, “whose courage inspired a nation to stand strong." Rozek intends the book to celebrate the lives of those who tragically lost their lives in the planes and on the ground in New York City, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. Watercolor illustrations by celebrated artist Susan Hebenstreit provide the ethereal setting for the book.
“My genuine hope is that this book will provide some measure of comfort while serving as a special keepsake and loving reminder of the peaceful place these extraordinary heroes now call home," says Rozek.
Educators Welcome “Positive, Comforting” Effects
What began as a labor of love for the victims' children has snowballed into an essential teaching tool for educators nationwide. As the second anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the book is being utilized in classrooms to commemorate the event while presenting an historic perspective to children at the elementary grade levels.
In 2002 in New York State, the Binghamton City School District purchased and distributed copies of the book throughout the elementary grades. "On September 11th, Rudy and the Magical Twin Balloons provided our younger students the unique opportunity to observe the anniversary in a subtle, reassuring manner,” said Assistant Superintendent Steve Deinhardt. “The book evoked very positive, comforting emotions in these students."
Vestal, New York's Clayton Avenue Elementary School Teacher, Mrs. Judy Vitale also obtained a copy of the book for her class. She speaks of the experience saying, "At the beginning of the 2002 school year, I was dreading September 11th coming, not knowing what to say or how to handle such a heavy topic with my 3rd graders. So I opted to read Rudy and the Magical Twin Balloons. My students were enchanted with the story as we discussed the symbolism in it. Instead of feeling frightened, the book made them understand the deeper feelings of love and friendship that help get people through tragedies such as this."
The Pierce School Extended Day Program of Brookline, MA, also purchased copies of the book. PSED Director, Jean Day states, "Rudy and the Magical Twin Balloons gave the teachers the unique opportunity to share with the students, and observe the one-year anniversary, with a positive and reassuring approach. The story encouraged our students to express their emotions in a way that promoted comfort, strength and healing."
Brookline Merrimac Publishers is especially proud to have the endorsement of Dr. Randall Marshall, Director of Trauma Studies at New York State's Psychiatric Institute at Columbia University. Dr. Marshall is heavily involved in the management of the psychiatric relief efforts for the families of the victims in NYC, especially the children. At his urging, plans are underway for a second printing for distribution to the children of the victims of 9/11.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to the memorials being built to honor the victims of 9/11.
* * * * *
Rudy and the Magical Twin Balloons
ISBN: 0972087109; $15.95 hardcover
Brookline Merrimac Publishers
47 Cypress Street, Suite 100
Brookline, MA 02445
(617)739-9591; email: kathyrozek@rcn.com