This Love is Forever - Paperback

by Lizzie Prall (Illustrator), Mavis Prall Cohen (Author)

"I am the best part of the marriage you see, The part that lives on is here, inside me... I'm made from the best of my dad and my mom. And I know that their love for me always goes on... Moms and dads don't always stay together. But parents and children love each other forever." These are the final words of this little book with a big message: "This Love is Forever - A book for children of divorce and their parents." Written by a mother in response to her young daughter's question, "Why are we divorced?" and illustrated by that same daughter years later, this book will give comfort to the whole family. Learn more about this book at www.thisloveisforever.net. Blank pages at the back of the book allow your children to add their own illustrations, so you can see how they view their changing family and help them talk about their feelings. Read this book with your children to help them know that the most important love in their lives will never change, no matter what else changes around them. Praise from the Experts: "Divorce and blended families is becoming the norm in American life. Helping parents help their young children through this transition is the aim of This Love is Forever. Mavis and her daughter, Lizzie, have published a book that will make it easier for parents to talk with their children about their divorce in supportive and caring ways. Many families will benefit from their labor of love in writing and illustrating this beautiful little book." Stephen Berman MD FAAP Professor of Pediatrics and Public Health University of Colorado Past President American Academy of Pediatrics Author of Getting It Right For Children: Stories of Pediatric Care and Advocacy "This sweet book contains a message I have not seen in other books for children of divorce: that the children of any marriage are the best part of the union, and the part that will continue to live on even though the marriage has ended. This book will inspire parents to give their children this message, which is critical for kids' self esteem." Suzy Yehl Marta Founder and President Rainbows For All Children Author of Healing the Hurt, Restoring the Hope: How to Guide Children and Teens Through Times of Divorce, Death, and Crisis with the Rainbows Approach www.rainbows.org

Author Biography

About the Author Mavis Prall Cohen wrote This Love is Forever when her daughter Lizzie was three years old and asked, "Why are we divorced?" Mavis wanted to give Lizzie an answer she could understand, and that would also reassure her she would always be loved. As a child of divorce herself, Mavis felt she knew what Lizzie needed to hear, and Mavis wanted to create lasting messages that Lizzie could revisit as often as she liked. Mavis also found that the positive messages helped her, as a mom, stay focused on what matters most during times of turmoil: her child's well-being. Mavis has a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University. She began her career in TV news and then moved on to healthcare communications, later earning another master's degree from Northwestern University in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety. She currently works in healthcare quality improvement for a large medical association. She and Lizzie live in the Chicago area with Mavis' husband and two step-daughters. About the Illustrator Lizzie Prall was one year old in 2000 when her parents split up, and at age three began asking her mother why the split had happened. Lizzie took comfort in the words her mother wrote for her, and years later when Mavis asked her to illustrate the book so that other families could benefit from its message, Lizzie agreed. Lizzie does not consider herself an expert artist, but the drawings are her vision of the words on the page. She is hoping this book will help other kids like her whose parents go through divorce.