Tyson's Sad Bad Day

A little boy named Tyson was feeling very sad, it was one of the worst days that he had ever had. And so begins this delightful story that leads a child through the honest feelings of confusion, fear and uncertainty with the death of someone dearly loved. But it doesn't stop there- it leads the reader on to understanding and acceptance. Test-read to children 4-8, the response was similar each time- a whispered That is a good story. In this day and age with so many suffering from cancer and other diseases, it isn't always grandparents and older people who die. It is my hope that this book will help ease frank discussions and provide the means of comfort on a child's level that will help both child and parent. The conclusion which Tyson reaches at the end of the book is one that brought real comfort to me when it was presented at the funeral of my husband of 39 years when I felt I wasn't finished with him yet either. Although Tyson's Sad Bad Day is Smith Meyer's first published children's book, it isn't the first time she has written a story to fit an occasion. Since reading books often helped her through personal challenges, stories are a logical way for her to reach out to help others through their own. Tyson's Sad, Bad Day is presented thus. Smith Meyer is also the author of two adult novels, Not Easily Broken and the sequel, Not Far from the Tree.