This book....is just great. It hits on the sadness that both kids and adults deal with in life. I just loved this book. Definitely a book every adult should read to their child.

The value of sadness and how to turn something that makes a girl feed sad and along, into a gift. The big wet sorry puddle drags the girl down. Then she cuddles a puppy, the water helps a farmer and an artist is able to wet his dry paints and paint a masterpiece. The girl thinks God has forgotten her, but she realises the God is all around all the time. A lovely book, that takes something very hard to explain and makes it clear, a true show of hope and turnaround,
The images are drab, I am sure this is deliberate but they don’t shout hope, or joy or the love of god.

I had a special interest in this book as my 8 and 5 year old lost their father less than a year ago. The metaphor of the puddle is not something I had come across previously. I do appreciate the metaphor but it may be difficult for some children to understand.

Thinking of my own children, I’m not sure they would be able to relate to it. We are religious and as an adult I do understand the message, but I think they may have a challenging time finding the “good” in the death of their father. I also did not wish to do anything to invalidate their feelings. Perhaps the ability to relate and understand is dependent on the child themselves, but for my children, they view it as their dad died and it’s 100% terrible.

The illustrations are quite lovely and the story flows nicely. This could certainly be a great resource for families dealing with grief, but everyone deals with it differently throughout their journey so it may not be for everyone as I mentioned above.

The message in this book is strong. This is about a grief-stricken child who turns her tears into gifts that she can share with other people. There is a religious theme in the book, but can be easily adapted for those non-religious.

The Good for Nothing Puddle , Finding Hope When You’re Stuck in Sadness, is written by Jana Jackson and illustrated by Abby Jartos. It is about a young girl who has experienced grief and loss and slowly learns how to find hope and beauty from pain. I loved the illustrations in the book as well as the topic and focus on faith and the feelings and thoughts we have towards God. I often work with young and adolescent children who struggle with grief and loss of their loved ones and I believe telling and listening to stories have a way of allowing us to understand these complex issues. This book was beautifully written, and I will recommend and read this story to children and families.