Customer Reviews

Was It the Chocolate Pudding?: A Story for Little Kids about Divorce

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As a professional Colorado divorce (attorney-trained) mediator, I don't often fall in love with new children's books about divorce; there are simply too many fine ones already out there. Sandra Levin's Was It the Chocolate Pudding?: A Story for Little Kids About Divorce, however, is a welcome exception, a total delight!

Chocolate Pudding perfectly captures the consterning confusion divorce ushers into the world of a six-year-old boy and his little brother. The boy just knows his mom moved out of their home, suddenly and without explanation -- because he smeared chocolate pudding all over his brother one day. After all, he muses, "I was in big trouble mister!" for getting carried away in what seemed like just so much fun.

Levin's picturebook world is accompanied by his reassuring voice patiently explaining to the young reader all these new and complex adult words and phrases:

'Explaining' is when you talk to somebody about something so they can understand it, even if that somebody is a little kid.

'Differences' is the grown-up word for everybody not liking the same thing and not always getting their way.

'Adjusting-to-our-new-arrangement' is what you do when you don't have an ideal situation and it's still okay.

Gorgeously illustrated by Bryan Langdo, Chocolate Pudding's punchline is the boy's huge relief upon discovering it was NOT his pudding antics that led his mom to leave the family. In fact, he learns, he and his brother didn't have a darn thing to do with his family's breakup! (And just to be sure that all kids hearing the story understand: "Relief," he notes, "is the grown-up word for feeling like you're carrying a big heavy book bag and someone takes it off your back.")

Levin's premise is that "big stuff like divorce needs some explaining," and Chocolate Pudding is more than up to the task.

Highly recommended for young children (perhaps 2 to 6 years of age) and anyone touched by divorce's sometimes long shadow.

Book is geared towards a young audience but my 7 year old found it easy to read. He reads it often when he misses his dad and even wrote a book report on it. Takes the blame off of the child and frees them to love both parents inspite of the situation. Was a bit taken aback by the mother being the one to leave. Otherwise pleased.

I am a social worker in private practice and I have read this book to many of my clients. It covers important issues/topics related to divorce and normalizes feelings. It is a particularly helpful tool for helping children understand that the divorce was not their fault.

Other helpful books for mental health professionals working with children of divorce include:

Creative Interventions for Children of Divorce

Where am I Sleeping Tonight? (A Story of Divorce)Dinosaurs Divorce

What in the World Do You Do When Your Parents Divorce? A Survival Guide for Kids

Ordered this book along w/3 others for my 5 & 3 yr old boys who are going thru a divorce between their mom & me. It is their favorite 1 out of the 4 - and it is nice that is places a primary emphasis on the role of the 2 boys with their father. However, mom is not negatively portrayed and gets a fairly equal amount of time in the story. It helps explain to the kids that the divorce is not their fault - but something that is only between the adults. It also helps emphasize that both their parents still love them wherever they go. At times, this story is a little more complicated, but I know the message is getting through. I also highly recommend "TWO HOMES", which is a little less complicated and is definitely level-handed for both parents.

Its sad to have to buy a book like this, but it has really helped my 3 year old daughter understand why her parents don't live together anymore. She asks to read it all the time. Even though it is kind of long for a 3yo, she pays attention the whole time.

My daughter asks me to read this book every day. It helps her to cope and understand divorce. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Nicely illustrated by Bryan Langdo, Was It The Chocolate Pudding?: A Story For Little Kids About Divorce by Sandra Levins is a picturebook story explaining the concept of divorce and joint custody to young children ages 2 to 6. Offering insight into divorce and growing up through in a thoroughly "kid friendly" story of two young brothers whose mother and father are divorced, Was It The Chocolate Pudding? follows a six-year-old and his little brother as they try to understand why their parents no longer live together and why the boys shuttle back and forth between them. Featuring a light-hearted, easy-to-read, age-appropriate understanding of what happens in a divorce, Was It The Chocolate Pudding? is very highly recommended as an informative, entertaining, and a perfect vehicle by which a concerned parent can help their own child understand a divorce in their own family, thereby avoiding misunderstandings and self-blame on the part of a child trying to understand an adult process.

Simply the best children's book out there on the subject with adults enjoying it as much as the kids. Sanra Levins raises the bar when dealing with children and divorce and delivers it to us gently and sweetly, holding our hand through this often disasterous process. Bravo!

really nice story to help children understand that divorce is not their fault, which is an almost-inevitable conclusion most kids under the age of 8 will draw. family in the story is obviously a middle class caucasian family having a pretty amicable divorce: families where there has been violence or more argument in front of the kids would want to add some sentences here and there. for example, "remember when mommy and daddy used to yell/hit/argue all the time? that was scary, wasn't it? we didn't want to scare you, so we decided we were better as friends than as husband and wife. i know it is hard to go from house to house, but now it is not scary and we both love you very much." that sort of thing.

I found this book to be directed towards a divorce situation where

the kids primarily spend time with the father. This would be a perfect

book for that custody agreement. I was surprised that the mother was

only mentioned toward the end of the book, and a slight attempt to show

the mother is in the childrens life daily. I returned it and ended up

losing money due to shipping.