Sachiko Means Happiness by Kimiko Sakai

Illustrated by Tomie Arai. 32 p., Children's Book Press, 1990. When someone is ill, sometimes our empathy is what's needed most. Sachiko describes how her once-loving grandmother has changed and no longer seems to notice her. She feels angry and exhausted in her attempts to talk with Grandmother. She describes feeling overwhelmed in the face of Grandmother's tears, and then understanding empathically how frightened and alone Grandmother must feel. As she finds a way to enter into Grandmother's experience, she feels a sense of peace in the world. A postscript explains that the author had an experience similar to Sachiko's as a child. Children will understand how their empathy can be helpful even when it seems hopeless. Ages 6-9

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