Abstract

Rafi the rabbit loves playing with his daddy, and especially with his favourite toy - a red racing car. But one day his daddy gets so sad and confused that he goes out and doesn't come back. Rafi is confused and scared.

This imaginative, compassionate book aims to help young children come to terms with the loss of a family member to suicide. Rafi's story explains what suicide is in a sensitive yet honest way, and helps children understand the many overwhelming emotions of grief. Though Rafi struggles with confusion, anxiety, anger and sadness, he learns that his feelings are natural. With love, guidance, therapeutic activities and the fun memories kept alive in his red racing car, he gradually begins to feel happy again.

Illustrated with beautiful watercolour pictures, this book ends with an informed, straightforward guide for parents and professionals on how best to help a grieving child to heal.

The author of this book has successfully conveyed through a simple story a very poignant message about loss and personal growth through loss. This book can help to give children an emotional language in which to make sense of loss through suicide and can facilitate healthy narratives around death, loss and developing resilience.
Dr Tania Pilley, Clinical Psychologist and Family Therapist
The book both explains suicide and grief for a young audience and shows children and adults ways of coping with the overwhelming feelings involved. The book is illustrated by Moir and the pictures are colourful and lively, depicting both the action and Rafi's emotions.
Sally Perry
School Library Association
Through Rafi the rabbit's profoundly honest story and excellent illustrations, the extraordinary difficulties that a bereaved child has to face are conveyed in a wise, empathic and child friendly manner. Reading the story with a bereaved child, will help adults convey an empathic understanding of the adversity they are facing and will encourage those all-important difficult discussions about the impact of premature death and suicide.
Dr Shelley Gilbert MBE, CEO of Grief Encounter
Louise Moir studied Fine Art at Cheltenham University before completing an MA in Art Psychotherapy at Hertfordshire University. She has worked as an art psychotherapist in child, adolescent and adult mental health services for the past 16 years. She has also trained in EMDR, a form of psychotherapy that is typically used to treat post-traumatic stress. Louise Moir lost her husband to suicide in 2011. She lives on the south coast with her 2 young sons.
This is a new and valuable resource which we are happy to recommend to parents or carers who are supporting children bereaved by suicide. We know how difficult it can feel to talk about this with children, we also know that it is vital that we do so. Rafi's Red Racing Car is an accessible book for both children and families dealing sensitively with the difficult circumstances of suicide. Louise has captured the importance of giving a child honest information but in small steps. The illustrations support the different often difficult emotions being written about. This book will be a useful resource for any family who have experienced the suicide of a loved one.
Sheila Elliott, Area Manager, Winston’s Wish, Childhood Bereavement Charity