Margaret M. Holmes

I appreciate that this book leaves the "terrible thing" unnamed, keeping the story universal for any children who have experienced trauma, while still including that the child finally discussed the terrible thing with a trusted counselor. I feel that this would be valuable to reread throughout a child or family's ongoing experience with trauma to remember that it's normal for the manifestations of trauma to change over time. I also think it could put children and families at ease about what show more happens in counseling for traumatized children... Talking and playing and drawing until the child feels better and can cope better. I hope this book makes many people feel very seen when they can't act like themselves due to things they don't want to discuss. show less

Sherman Smith saw something terrible recently. He tried to get his mind of it, but it kept coming back What he saw gave him bad dreams, tummy aches, trouble sleeping, and it made him very, very angry. He was so angry he got in trouble at school. Finally, he works with a therapist to draw his feelings, and eventually draw out the terrible thing. He starts to feel a lot better.
I like the authors choice to not name a specific trauma, and rather show the event as a dark cloud. This makes it show more accessible for any child who has experienced trauma to relate to it. I also liked his physical reactions to trauma were described, because I feel like that is easier for children to identify. show less

Poor Sherman Smith the raccoon saw something terrible! While the book by Margaret Holmes doesn’t detail the terrible thing, it does recount how traumatized Sherman was and how many of his attempts to forget did not help. The book urges children to turn to adults to help them with their big feelings and with situations that children should never have to endure. A wonderful book for children who need trauma-informed care.

Sherman has witnessed a very bad thing, as much as he tries to put the very bad thing in the back of his mind, he cannot. He starts having problems at school and even has nightmares. However, after talking to Ms. Maple, she tells him this very bad thing is not his fault and this helps Sherman ease his anxiety. This is a great book for children, as children can be exposed to more than they should. This book explains to children that it's okay to express your feelings to a trusted adult, they show more will help you through anything. show less