A few months ago, I got into the habit of putting on the news in the morning and keeping it running as I got ready for the day. It’s been nice to be a little more aware of what’s going on in the world, and CBS also does a good job of sprinkling in encouraging human interest stories here and there, rather than 24/7 “doom and gloom.” But…let’s face it, there’s a lot of “doom and gloom” out there to cover. So, sometimes I find myself feeling a bit overwhelmed.

I can only imagine how kids are feeling. This morning alone, we are bombarded by updates on the Coronavirus, missing children, horrors in Syria, natural disaster in Tennessee, uncertainty and conflict over the 2020 election and more. We sometimes assume kids aren’t picking up on all this, and that may be true about the factual details of each situation, but you better believe they are picking up on the fear, anxiety and pain.

 

That’s why I was so happy to recently discover a book which addresses these feelings. In The Breaking News by Sarah Lynne Reul, a family feels the impact of a frightening news report on the television. We are never told the details, but it is a very recognizable experience. After any disaster–whether of nature or human hands–we are all glued to our screens and speaking in hushed tones.

At school, the young protagonist’s teacher assures her students that “Even when the news is bad, you can still find good people trying to make things better in big and small ways.” This inspires the little girl to be one of those people. She tries to find ways to help her family, clowning around to make them laugh and helping with chores around the house.

She starts to worry if there’s really anything she can do to make things better. But as time goes on, she draws her family into her hopeful outlook. The final image of the book zooms out to show you the little girl’s block, buzzing with neighborly interactions and kindness. Although, we know that “Small things don’t solve everything,” we are assured that they do help.

I love how universal this story is. Whatever the latest news frenzy may be about, this book can help a child feel understood and less alone. It also encourages kids to see the bigger picture, and not just focus on the scary, but on the hopeful as well. Ruel also uses color really well in her illustrations to convey the way the little girl’s feelings evolve over the course of the story. At the end, you see her bright and buoyant colors spreading to those around her.

With so much on the news these days that kids may not fully understand (but sense to be frightening), I’m really glad this book exists to validate their feelings and provide some hope.