Why Did It Happen?: Helping Children Cope in a Violent World - Hardcover

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Cohn tackles a timely issue that few children's books address. When young Daniel and his mother discover that Mr. James' grocery store has been robbed and Mr. James' arm broken, Daniel is angry and worried. Daniel's father explains why people steal (some don't know the difference between right and wrong, some were abused as children and are angry at the world, some use drugs and alcohol, which affects their actions) and offers positive outlets for expressing emotions. Daniel pounds his punching bag to show how he feels about poor Mr. James. When Daniel has a nightmare, his parents comfort him. Although not ready to return to the store, Daniel draws a picture for Mr. James. Later when Daniel and a friend play a robbery game in which one child "shoots" the other, Daniel's parents suggest the boys think of other, more appropriate choices for solving that confrontation. A classroom scene in which Daniel's teacher discusses feelings, and a reassuring visit from Mr. James, who tells Daniel about the preventive measures he has taken in his store and the wealth of goodwill he has felt since the robbery, round out the book. Although the text is a bit stilted, the rich color drawings, against golden backgrounds, provide a warm setting for the complex problem. A detailed note in the front, examining the emotional issues of violence and children, with specific strategies for helping youngsters, is a plus. Recommended as a first step toward dealing positively with an explosive and devastating topic. Deborah Abbott

This earnest story by the psychotherapist who wrote I Had a Friend Named Peter: Talking to Children About the Death of a Friend (1987) is not really about why Daniel's friend Mr. James gets a broken arm when his store is robbed. Although Daniel's father offers some generalized answers (e.g., ``Some people have a special kind of problem that makes it hard for them to know right from wrong''), the question is more a classic cry against injustice. It's about the feelings aroused in a child when violence touches someone close and how they can best be addressed. Daniel's parents find out the real facts, encourage verbal and nonverbal expression of his feelings, and provide a punching ball for him to vent his anger; when he dramatizes capturing the robber, he's encouraged to find an alternative to guns, even in play; when Daniel is reluctant to return to the store, Mr. James reassures him with a home visit; and so on. The thorough explication, extended even further in a sensible five- page introduction, is heavy-handed for a story, but Cohn carries it off in a smooth telling that's nicely enhanced by empathetic full-bleed art rendered in warm, rather sober hues. For a more imaginative (yet equally serious) treatment of the impact of violence on children, see Eve Bunting's Smoky Night (p. 300). (Picture book. 4-10) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.