Joanna Rowland – författare

On days when your faith is shaken, remember...

A seed falls to the ground. A child moves away from home. Can life bloom in a new place?

With gentle storytelling and poetic language, Joanna Rowland explores what it means to have hope--hope that things will get better, hope that you are cared for even when things are hard, and hope that new growth is waiting to burst forth, just around the corner.

One scary day can change everything . . .

Little Bear loves the woods, his home, and going on adventures with his best friend, Big Bear. Big Bear is so big and strong and brave. He always protects Little Bear and helps him feel safe. Then something scary happens to Big Bear. He's caught in a forest fire. Even after he escapes and is safe, Little Bear can tell that Big Bear is not the same. He runs, roars, or freezes in fear when ordinary things happen in the woods that remind him of that traumatic day. How can Little Bear's big, strong, brave friend be so scared now? And how can Little Bear be a good friend?

In Big Bear Was Not the Same, Joanna Rowland, author of the bestelling book The Memory Box, gently introduces young readers to the common feelings of fear, anxiety, and anger that can follow a traumatic event, and shows them how to have empathy and compassion for themselves and for loved ones experiencing the effects of trauma.

Includes backmatter written by a family therapist with information on how to talk about trauma with children.

From the author and illustrator of The Memory Box, the best-selling children's book about grief, comes a new picture book to help and comfort families celebrating their first holiday season after the loss of a loved one.

Grief is challenging for children and families any time of year, but during Christmas or other family-focused holidays, the death of a loved one can bring especially difficult feelings. In The Memory Tree, a child struggles with the recent loss of a loved one. Holiday lights don't seem to shine as bright, and celebrations don't feel quite as merry. But then she and her family find a way to commemorate their lost loved one: the decoration of a special Memory Tree, which allows them all to process their feelings and make the person a meaningful part of their celebrations. Joanna Rowland's sensitive writing and Thea Baker's beautiful illustrations gently prompt reflections and suggestions for readers to create their own Memory Trees at home.

A grief book and heartwarming Christmas story in one, The Memory Tree provides comfort to grieving families--whether for the first holiday celebrated after the loss of a loved one, or many years later.