One Wave at a Time

Author: Holly Thompson
Illustrator: Ashley Crowley
Publisher: Albert Whitman and Company

One Wave at a Time is a sensitively-written book, looking at how a child copes with a bereavement, one step at a time. The story focuses on how grief can come in waves – some enormous, some smaller, and suggests ways to help a child to “ride” those emotions.

One Wave at a Time is a beautifully produced book, sensitively and practically tackling the subject of grief and loss. The wording is effective yet simple, and the illustrations complement the messages conveyed by the text.

The messages we found in this book:

Acknowledgement:

It is normal to feel sad and angry when a loved one passes away
Grief can be unpredictable, and generates different feelings over time
Behaviour may be affected by grief, and this is normal

Guidance:

Trying out certain different strategies may provide some relief from the waves of grief: memory boxes, group therapy, “Grief First Aid Kits” and designating times and spaces to talk about the loved one may all provide some comfort
There are many resources referenced at the back of the book, for adults who are seeking to help their children through the family’s journey of grief together

Hope & Inspiration:

The child and his family in the story start out being buffeted by the unpredictable waves of grief. By the end of the book, the waves still come, but the family have been adjusting and are slowly learning to “ride” them
Happy times can still be had in between the waves of grief, and over time, the waves will settle a little, and become less scary