When Sadness Is at Your Door

In a deeply sensitive story, Eland personifies Sadness as a pear-shaped, mint green–colored character. The “you” in the story is a quiet child rendered in simple lines. Sadness is the child’s constant companion, but after communicating with Sadness (“Listen to it. Ask where it comes from and what it needs.”), the figure no longer seems like a burden. The two take a walk in the forest, listening together to the sounds of trees, and exchange a warm hug. At last, the child wakes to Sadness gone: “Don’t worry—today is a new day.” Sadness, Eland expresses, need not always feel like an intrusive guest—rather, it’s one whose arrival warrants attention, reflection, and care. Ages 3–7. [em](Jan.) [/em]