Nina and Noah’s Journey Through Grief and Loss is an illustrated children’s book that teaches children about grief and coping skills. Taking place in Armenia, the story follows a brother and sister who learn from elders in their neighborhood how to cope with the loss of their grandmother. The author, Judith Helena Lozano, wrote the book to make mental health resources more accessible for children from war-torn countries. The story includes breathing exercises, metaphors to help children understand their emotions, and comforting messages in the midst of difficult times.

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The story includes breathing exercises, metaphors to help children understand their emotions, and comforting messages in the midst of difficult times. 

 

Since the story’s setting and audience centered around Armenia, it was important to convey characters that looked Armenian. The author, who is Armenian, based the two main characters, Nina and Noah, on herself and her younger brother when they were young. She worked closely with me to make sure the character designs were accurate.

 

I chose the white lily flower as a visual motif, as it is an important symbol in the story. At the end, Nina and Noah gift their father a bouquet of white lilies to resolve a conflict, but also to share what they learned about grief.