Life is hard. Sometimes, children find that out sooner rather than later. For a child the loss of a loved one may be difficult to process. Children lack the vocabulary to express their feelings as adult do; their brains are not fully developed so completing the process of reconciling to the death may take years.

A children may give the appearance of coping well, but may be grieving tremendously on the inside. Denial of grief can be emotionally unhealthy and lead to problems in the future. An understanding adult can help a child remember the person they’ve lost in various ways, such as looking at photographs or telling stories about the deceased adult.

Roger Hutchison has provided another tool to help grieving children (and adults) express the mixture of feelings that come when a loved one has died. His book My Favorite Color Is Blue. Sometimes. is subtitled A Journey Through Loss with Art and Color. It uses colors to talk about different ways a child may be feeling. Turning the pages of the book to read the simple text and experience the beautiful artwork can help children to share their own (perhaps confusing) feelings about the person they’ve lost. Blue stands for sweet blueberries, the bright blue sky, and the deep blue of the sea, but also for a swirling blue rainstorm.

The storm is inside of me.
I am angry.
I am sad.
My heart is hurting.

Hutchison had the privilege of painting with children who witnessed the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. The experience convinced him that he had a vocation to serve those who grieve with his writing and art. My Favorite Color Is Blue. Sometimes was published by Paraclete Press on November 7, 2017.

On Wednesday, November 14, 2018, Hutchison will be presenting a free webinar about the book for PRC – Practical Resources for Churches. You can click here to register to attend the webinar in person; after November 14, you can use the same link to register to view the recording.

Paraclete Press provided a review copy of the book.