Glenna Edwards Author of the book "Rainbow Bed"

The death of a loved one is hard enough on adults, but children often have special needs after experiencing loss. That’s exactly why author Glenna Edwards wrote Rainbow Bed: A Child’s Perspective on Coping with Grief, her very popular children’s book from Outskirts Press that’s helping kids--and parents--work through their pain. Before they turn 15, 1.2 million American children will experience the death of a parent, and millions more will suffer the loss of others close to them. Children in Edwards’ family became part of those statistics in 2008, when Edwards’ mom and sister-in-law died within five weeks of each other. Afterward, Glenna watched as her son, Ben, expressed his grief through artwork. His healing technique so struck Edwards, she decided to write and illustrate a book to help people of any age who are grieving. The story revolves around a little boy who watches as his beloved grandmother, Mamaw, falls ill, requiring a caregiver. In his own words, the child expresses how he understands what’s going on around him as he handles the care-giving, death and grieving process surrounding someone he loves. Then, he begins to express how he feels in remarkable rainbow drawings that help others see something beautiful in a difficult situation. With its accessible treatment of a seldom-discussed topic, Rainbow Bed resonates with children, who can relate to the story’s young narrator and gorgeous full-color crayon drawings. And the story is also touching for adults, who can use it to open up conversations about bereavement with any age group--making it a perfect tool perfect for teachers and counselors. Edwards has donated over half the proceeds from the highly successful book to cancer organizations. “Almost every family I know has been touched in some way by cancer,” states Edwards. “I dream of a day when we have the cures and answers to every type of cancer.”