Ethan's Butterflies
A spiritual book for young children and parents after the loss of a baby
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Here is what people wrote about Ethan’s Butterflies:
"Sometimes a book comes along that has heart and soul. Such is Ethan's Butterflies, a book to share with children when a baby sibling dies. The book centers on a family of elephants, appropriately chosen because elephants have complex and nuanced mourning rituals. Big sister Emma, the book's storyteller, and big brother Edgar share with us the experience of their baby brother’s death. These elephant siblings cry, get mad, wonder what they did to cause Ethan’s death. They struggle with the question, What happens after death?, much like we adults do. Perhaps that is the true beauty of this book, written for children, but illuminating the path of grieving for big people, too."
Rana Limbo, PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC Director of Bereavement and Advance Care Planning Services, Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation, Inc. Faculty Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing
"Christine Jonas-Simpson has produced a much needed book for young preschool children on the loss of a baby. Ethan’s Butterflies is written at a level that is understandable with enough information for parents to individualize and adapt for their family. The book validates the confusing feelings children experience when loss becomes part of their family story. The book is written in a way that allows parents to modify the spiritual message to fit with their own beliefs about life after death. This book also reinforces that a sibling relationship lasts forever. A much needed resource for bereaved parents who have young children at home." Joann O’Leary, PhD Parent-Infant Specialist Center for Early Education and Development University of Minnesota
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About the Book
When a baby dies one of the first concerns a parent has is the impact this loss has on their young living children. It is difficult to know what to say or how to talk about the death of a long-awaited sibling. Ethan's Butterflies provides a way for parents and professionals to connect with young children who experience the loss of a sibling. This story is written from a young child's perspective and told by a pink elephant named Emma. Emma describes her deep sadness, anger and fears and poses many questions that children often raise. Emma shows how she and her family learn to live with the loss her baby brother Ethan and how they continue to connect with him in many ways, one of which is a butterfly and another is love.
Net proceeds from the sale of this book will go to bereavement charities, research and education.
SPECIAL OFFER!! -- Hospitals, Charities and Non-Profit Organizations will receive a 36% Discount on Ethan's Butterflies when ten or more books are ordered. Please indicate what organization you are from and request the discount when you place your order.
About the Author
Christine Jonas-Simpson’s son Ethan William Simpson was born still on July 15, 2001. Her sons, Jonah and Kyle were three-and-a-half years and twenty-two months old at this time. Christine had difficulty finding a book that reflected her spiritual beliefs and helped her to answer her sons’ many questions. This book was inspired by her sons’ questions and the spiritual answers that came to Christine, her husband Jack and her sons. This second (2010) edition reflects spiritual pointers which Christine has found helpful since the first edition in 2006.
Christine received her PhD at Loyola University Chicago in 1998. She is a volunteer for bereaved families and an Assistant Professor of Nursing in the Faculty of Health at York University in Toronto, Canada where she teaches and conducts arts-informed research on transforming with loss. She lives in Toronto with her husband, sons and yellow lab, Frodo.