It could be hard to explain to children why and how their lives suddenly changed after the Beirut explosion.
In a split second, they lost family members, friends, the comfort of their homes, their favorite toys, even their schools, and much more.
Now, they have to deal with that unimaginable trauma, but they don’t have to do it alone.
Dubai-based Lebanese children’s author Sara Ghannoum has taken her character, Tom Alien, on an experience that’s far too close to home.
To help kids cope with trauma, she addressed the explosion in a free e-book, “The Big Cosmic Boom.”
Having experienced major parts of the Lebanese civil war as a child, Sara told The961 she vividly remembers the fear and panic from the loud bombing.
“It breaks my heart that Lebanese children today are still forced to live such horrors (if not worse) as that of August 4th,” she said.
“What they may not realize is this is a collective emotion,” she assured. “They are not alone in this troubled state.”
Sara hopes this book will help children articulate their negative feelings and that it would be a guiding step towards healing.
“My aim is to provide them with a coping framework for understanding what happened and the emotions related to it.”
Sara herself is a mother of two and knows how overwhelming feelings and emotions can be for children to understand.
She has published two books that come in both English and Arabic: the first “Tom Alien” and the second “Tom Alien & Friends”. Her books teach children valuable lessons on how to cope with basic feelings and social interactions.
Within a couple of days, she will release the Arabic version of “The Big Cosmic Boom”. For now, you can download the free e-book in English here.
