Black & White Illlustrations Dena Patrick, Founder of Wishadoo and One Voice Rising: --A touching, poignant, tiny tale of immense blessing, with the power to lift and soothe a heavy heart. Camilla Trinchieri, Author of The Price of Silence and many more mysteries: --The Blessing is a fairy tale of healing, which delivers an enchanting message of hope. It should be read by all who harbor pain in their hearts. Terri St. Cloud, Author and Artist, Founder of Bone Sigh Arts: --Grief can be overwhelming in so many ways that it's hard to trust the process of grieving. This gentle story reminds us that it's not only okay to shed a flood of tears, it's healing. And that indeed, when we're ready to hold it, life can and will come back to us. Actress and Artist, Nancy Wait, author of The Nancy Who Drew: --This gentle and evocative tale is a blessing both poetic and out of time, reminding us of the power of believing. Poet and Editor, Kerry Holjes: --The Blessing is a gentle lullaby of a fairy tale, a story of desolation replaced by the magic of hope. It will touch a tender place inside both child and adult alike. Psychotherapist Tom Golden, author of Swallowed by a Snake: The Gift of the Masculine Side of Healing and The Way Men Heal: --This is a great story for children. Hearing and talking about a story gives children a safe place to look at their own problems. The story was wonderfully vague about the sorts of problems the young girl was experiencing and this helps children to see their own problems within the story. All they need is a caring adult to read them the story and talk about it! --Easy questions might be "What was the girl upset about?" "What could anyone have done to help her feel better" or "What do you think was the hardest part for her?" The child's answers will tell you much more about them then it does about the story. This is the essence of play therapy, using a safe and comfortable play to explore things that are difficult to explore directly. Avid Reader Sue Martindale: --I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Blessing. The Blessing is a succinct, beautifully written and poignant fairy tale that transports you to a mystical realm of love, wisdom and compassion. Nancy Stolfo-Corti, author of The Other Side of Tuscanny: --The wonder of the pacing and rhythm of the piece is almost as soothing as the content itself. The author's vivid imagery allows us to be in the room - to feel the child's suffering and then to feel the blessing's respite. This fairy tale could be the very lifeline for families experiencing the fragility of sickness or the sadness of "when the bough breaks." --- The Blessing: A Fairy Tale about Healing Grief was written to share how a person could be grieving and show no outward signs of grief. It shows how in fairy tale terms, bringing in the wise women, the Bearers of the Blessing, can provide the sacred space for grieving to occur. It's a short illustrated fairy tale about a young girl living in a castle like space with no sign of parents, siblings or friends, just a nursemaid. Reading it is an opportunity to show that grieving is a natural process and that we can recover. Reading it will raise a lot of questions for discussion. Several versions will be available. See which one you resonate with most. This is the Black & White version illustrated by Vladividal.