•  
  •  
image-586696-Rhonda.jpg

About the Author:

Rhonda Manyak experienced the loss of a parent herself, at the young age of six. Back in the era of the seventies, death was not openly discussed with children as it is today, and books for young grieving children did not exist. Manyak knows first hand what it is like to lose a parent, and the emptiness and confusion that comes with the death of a loved one. For younger children who may not be as verbal, grief can be just as devastating, if not worse. 

Manyak has also experienced this type of grief through her two year old granddaughter, Isabella. While mourning the loss of her mother, Isabella has been found wandering aimlessly and even calling out to her mother in the middle of the night. When she couldn't find anything on the shelves geared for children under the age of four, Manyak (who had never written anything before) was challenged to write a grieving book for toddlers . She gladly accepted the challenge by her own and her granddaughter's bereavement therapist to create something that would help little ones begin their journey of healing. Manyak started with one book and has several in the works, in hopes that they will help little ones cope with their loss. 

About the Illustrator:

Sabrina Tarrab is a young artist, originally from Miami, FL. where she graduated from New World School of the Arts High School. She currently attends College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI. where she is studying Fine Arts, Art Education, and Art Therapy. Tarrab experienced the loss of her father at the age of 19. She was inspired by Manyak's story, and embraced this project with her mom, little brother, and of course her dad, always in her heart.

Together, Manyak and Tarrab combine forces, turning their tragedies into something beautiful and healing.

image-591423-sabrina_1.jpg