A profound tale that shares how to deal with grief when you are young - obviously we hope children will not have to, but so many do.

Looking through my reviews, you might be as surprised as I am to find this in my reading queue, let alone my first review of the year, but here we are. When my better half received this as an ARC copy, I found it so enchanting that I needed to read it for myself.

<i>The Good for Nothing Puddle</i>, written by Jana Jackson during a period of great familial loss, is full of charm and provides an unexpectedly deep and heartfelt commentary on how God turns our "less than" moments into grace-filled blessings. I also felt it relayed a bigger message about how we can sometimes perceive ourselves in opposition to how God sees us. The story is well-written and gets its point across without becoming preachy. It also does not talk down to its intended audience (which is presumably younger than this nearly 60-year-old guy).

Story and message aside, the art from Abby Jartos is what truly brings it all to life. Her unnamed girl is starkly, wonderfully drawn and stands stubbornly alone, a harsh black-and-white figure against the colorful world that surrounds her. Watching her discover where that color comes from is lovely.

My thanks to NetGalley and Zonderkidz (the children's division of Christian publishing giant Zondervan) for providing this advanced reader's copy. My partner has already informed me we will be purchasing the book upon its release. I have no problem with that!

Excellent book!!! I can identify even as an adult finding my puddle of sadness with inner thoughts of "I'm not worthy."
As i embark on a new journey in my nursing career, a school nurse, this author and book gives me the understanding of I may not able be to fix it or take away the hurt, (which nurses always want to do!), instead, I can give support and a hug if needed.
Jana Jackson and Abby Jartos make a great team!! The author's insight and spiritual background are clear and Abby Jartos brings to life real emotions like sadness, anger, anxiety, and happiness. This book allows children and adults alike the feelings of "I'm not alone."
I received an advanced copy to read from NetGalley and Zonderkidz.

What a beautiful book for adults and children to share together. Feelings can be tough to define and work through but the feeling of loss is shown cleverly through the use of the puddle. It's a good reminder of how people view things from different perspectives.

I picked this book because of the cover and the illustrations inside did not disappoint – I loved them. The puddle is a metaphor that works well because it could represent a lot of different types of feelings or sad things but I feel like would need to be explored with some clear adult support to really get the benefits. I appreciated the note from the author at the end and the scripture references included at the bottom though wish they had been included more directly in the story because the Biblical wisdom isn’t very clear from the story text itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zonderkidz Books for an electronic copy to review – I enjoy seeing the good picture books coming out. This book is expected to be published and out in early February 2025.

There is a little girl who is very sad in The Good for Nothing Puddle. She cries so hard that a puddle of tears forms around her. A completely hopeless feeling grips her. Even hiding from the puddle wasn't an option. One day, she decides to ask for help. She falls to her knees and prays, "God, will you please take my puddle away?" She waits and waits, but nothing happens. A puppy comes scampering up to the girl one day. A thick layer of mud covers the puppy. A little girl cleans the puppy's face with some of the puddle. Afterward, a farmer asks for some of her puddle to cool himself off. A painter comes by asking for help with his dried out paints. It is impossible for her to help because she is stuck in a good-for-nothing puddle. The grass around the puddle soon grows flowers and the girl grows happy. Throughout the process, God had been listening.

Thank you NetGalley for sharing this oil for review.

Beautifully written children’s book addressing grief in a digestible way.
Good read to support family and friends.

Wow, this is a wonderfully comforting book which will help you deal with grief and sadness. The story is simply profound, and profoundly simple. It is psychologically and religiously accurate. Quite simply the story deals with: how do we cope with grief. At the end of the book, the author describes her recent history and her life story, which is very moving. The book is ideal for children but also for this 72 year old, who found this a very wise book, indeed. By using reframing, there is much that our grief can teach us and our grief can greatly assist others too. A wonderful, brief parable.

Always important to look on the bright side of life. What is horrific and awful to you, could be the one thing someone desires. Great read. My nieces and nephews would enjoy. With messages loud and clear to parents, and simple enough kids will see too.

This is a great book for anyone going through a hard time. It is written to help children but has so much practical advice woven into the story that we can all benefit from it. Highly recommend this for all Christian bookstores and libraries that have a Christian reading section. A great reminder that God is with us through all the valleys of our life.

I received an electronic ARC from Zonderkidz-Books through NetGalley.
This young girl has lost someone important and is caught in sadness and grief. Readers see her struggle to block her feelings until they explode. Jackson captures this method of trying to cope beautifully through her words and the artwork. I appreciate the puddle that stays with her as the physical representation of her feelings. This girl learns that her puddle can provide what others need as she encounters a puppy, a farmer, and an artist. The final pages offer hope and encouragement that healing will come. A lovely book to share with those who have lost someone. Do read the Author's note at the end.

“The Good for Nothing Puddle” is an excellent story about how pain can be used to help others. Being sad and hurt is an uncomfortable position to be in and lots of people try to avoid it. But this beautifully illustrated book shows how God uses the pain and hurt to grow you and reveal how good and loving He is.

When it comes to grief and dealing with serious emotions, the more books out there tackling these topics the better. The illustrations are thoughtful and evoke the sadness and despair that grief can bring. As the book progresses, the girl learns that you don't always get the thing you want, but you work through the process of grief and ultimately get to a point where grief is manageable and you can see the light again. The only thing I didn't really like, maybe because I have dogs and have issues with germs, was the dog being cleaned before the puddle was used for the farmer's handkerchief and the paints. I do understand that grief is messy and you don't always come out unscathed on the other side. I think it's just a personal hang up I have with the book.
I highly recommend this for a child that is struggling in dealing with grief and finding the light again.

Grief is HARD, and this book offers an excellent description of what it's like along with hope for recovery. The girl in the book sees her grief as a worthless puddle but she learns how her experience can help others. There aren't enough good books about grief, especially for children. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

One day, the girl experiences a great loss, and this results in a great sadness. The sadness is manifested as a “Good for nothing puddle” that she can’t seem to his or get rid of. She begs God for help to remove her sadness, and in turn, the puddle, but she gets no answer. Over time, she meets a dirty puppy, an overheated farmer, and an artist with a problem she can help solve. She begins to realize that because of her own pain and experiences, she is able to help others. This book explains to children that even when our pain and losses affect us greatly, they do not define us, and something better can eventually grow with our healing. I would recommend this story for any families experiencing grief who need a way to relate to their children and help them understand what they’re feeling, and that healing IS possible. I received an arc copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good picture book covering grief. I didn’t fully expect the semi religious aspect of it and that threw me off. But it’s a good story with a positive ending.

This picture book lives up to its subtitle: Finding Hope When You’re Stuck in Sadness. Despite the temptation to rosy up the past, children have always gone through so much; at least now, we can be honest and help them with their depression and sorrows. In this book, a girl loses someone she loved very, very much, and, naturally, she finds it difficult to deal with the pain. In this book, God teaches the girl that good things can come from bad.

Illustrator Abby Jartos’ amazing drawings absolutely make this book. Kudos to her!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Zonderkidz Books in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely book about a little girl that experiences grief for the first time, and how it impacts her and everything around her.
The puddle is used as a metaphor to explain grief,which she then uses it to help others and feel better about herself.
I don't think small children will really understand the connection so would be more l suited for older children, but that said it's a lovely story regardless.

I once heard someone say, you don't understand something, unless you can explain it to a three year old, and often I don't understand things unless it's explained to Me like a three year old. I believe this book will help not only children understand that good, can come from big feelings, but the adults who hold the space for them, and take them through this book. The best books, come from lived experience, and reading this you can tell, it comes from that place. Well done, well done. We thank you.

Grief takes on the metaphor of a puddle. As the girl laments the puddle, she finds ways to turn sadness into a gift, even though at first the big old wet sorry puddle drags her down. The puddle enables her to cuddle a puppy, use the water to helps a farmer, and an artist is able to wet his dry paints and paint a masterpiece. Still, the girl thinks God has forgotten her, but then she realizes that God is all around, all the time, and has never left her side.

Being stuck in sadness is a hard emotion to conquer, and the author has a good idea, but I don’t think just any young reader will understand the metaphor.

The illustrations are quite lovely although drab creating an air of seriousness.

I suggest if you are dealing with young ones experiencing loss, you should read the book a couple of times to see if it’s for your audience.