Phebe Phillips
Why Me? Positive Verse for Loss and Sadness eloquently guides both young and old readers through life’s sometimes catastrophic events. Using poetic free verse, Phebe Phillips leads her readers into awareness that each of us is special and that indeed, each of us is loved.Why Me? is designed to bring words of comfort to those affected by life-changing events such as a death, the heart-breaking loss of a pet, a change in family structure, or one of life’s many challenges and disappointments.Beautifully illustrated in chalk pastels, Phebe frees each reader to use their own imagination as she weaves her story to include diverse portrayals of ethnicity and gender while using animals in human form. Many illustrations hold a deeper meaning than what may be seen upon first glance, such as in the illustration for “Sometimes things leave…” which represents the ladder to the sky as a DNA double helix marked with hydrogen bonds.This story was originally created at the suggestion of the Dallas Chapter of the American Red Cross to address positively the hard subjects of loss and sadness. Since its beginning 4000 copies have been placed in the ARC’s Emergency Response Vehicles for distribution to those in need of comforting words. Why Me? is appropriate for all ages, and is also available in Spanish.
