Annabelle's Day of Sorrow: Trusting in God's Plan

Annabelle's Day of Sorrow: Trusting in God's Plan by Kaye E. DeMarr is a touching story inspired by an event that happened on her farm many years ago.

Reading stories about loss, especially the loss of a child, is always very hard. Yet this story takes a very difficult subject (death) and makes it easier to approach with children because of characters used (cows).

In the story, Annabelle, a mother cow, experiences the loss of her calf due to a birth defect. Although she feels the pain and sorrow because of her loss, she also feels the Lord's presence with her. She struggles with the same feelings we struggle with during times of loss, but the encouragement given to her by a wise, old cow helps her to open her heart to what God has in store for her future. By the end of the story, Annabelle fully experiences God's grace.

I think this is an excellent book to use with children (or even parents) who have or will be experiencing a loss. I do not know if this book should be used with younger children who have not experienced a loss, because they may not be ready for it.

I began reading this book with my daughter. I had to stop and read the rest on my own. I lost my mother a few years ago, so I was able to relate to the grief, sadness, and God's ultimate grace at the end of the story. Thankfully, my daughter has never had to face those feelings yet, so she wasn't ready for this book.
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What I Like: I love how the author ends the story. "Annabelle's day of sorrow has passed, a new day has dawned, and who knows what tomorrow will bring...." Although the loss of a loved one brings sadness, God is always faithful and will always bring us the grace we need to move forward.

What I Dislike: In a few places, quotations marks were misplaced. I though a different character was speaking when it was actually the same character continuing the conversation. This was not something that would be a deal breaker for me, but I could see it causing momentary confusion.
 
Overall Rating: Very good
 
Age Appeal: 8-12 years old

Publisher Info: AuthorHouse, 2013; ISBN:978-1-4817-5515-3 ; paperback,  28 pgs., $19.99


Buy it at Amazon.com for $17.99.