The Rhino Who Swallowed A Storm - LeVar Burton, Susan Schaefer Bernardo
2020 was a tough year for our kids. Mine haven’t been able to go back to school in person since March 2020, and we still don’t have any idea of when in-person schooling will start again. They have had to adapt to a new normal where they can’t go play with friends in a playground, have playdates, or go places where we would normally go.
The Rhino Who Swallowed A Storm is the perfect book to read to kids at this time. But it is the perfect book to read at any time really. Many children go through traumatic times in life that can lead to anxiety and depression, amidst other issues, and being able to talk about trauma is one step towards healing, and this is exactly what this book is all about.
Written by LeVar Burton and Susan Schaefer Bernardo, and illustrated by Courtenay Fletcher, The Rhino Who Swallowed A Storm is a story within a story. Mica the mouse is scared of storms because one destroyed her home the year before. So her father tells her the story of the rhino who decided to swallow the storm that was destroying his home and the land around him. By swallowing the storm the rhino saved his world, but in order to survive the trauma of the storm raging inside him he needs to rely on the help from others around him, and then learn to let all of the feelings he has bottled up inside out.
One of my children has had severe anxiety from an early age, and this is the type of book that helps normalize feelings of anxiety and pain, shows that it is a good thing to release our emotions, and also to ask for help when we need it. I love how there are two stories in the book, and how well they fit together. Little Rhinoceros’ story is told in rhyme, and when you read it aloud the rhythm and the words really convey the severity of the storm and the Little Rhinoceros’ journey back into the light. The illustrations complement the words perfectly, and my kids really enjoyed pointing out all of the animals and mimicking the giant storm. It led to a great discussion about feelings and storms that sometimes brew in our heads.
At the end of the book there is a helpful list of questions to help open up a discussion with children about our feelings, about traumatic events, and on how we can manage our emotions. Highly recommended read!!