“ Anyone old enough to love is old enough to grieve .” Dr Alan Wolfelt
Anxiety about death is a very common worry among children, yet the more they learn and understand about death and dying, the less they’re likely to fear it. But What If They Die? is a story about Leo, whose mind is spiralling with anxious thoughts that are keeping him awake. He’s worried about his parents dying. Thankfully, his bunny Lola is there to help him with helpful and funny suggestions. The book celebrates feeling all the emotions no matter how uncomfortable they are, without trying to fix or avoid them.
This event is perfect for highly aware and sensitive children with big imaginations, who are also curious or at times anxious about death and dying. Using prompts and activities, Jimena guides children to reflect on how they react to certain uncomfortable feelings by brainstorming how Lola reacted to Leo’s fear of death. She uses ‘what if’ scenarios to look at the topics and encourages the power of imagination to transform their fears.
Jimena is a Mexican artist, actor, children’s author and award-winning filmmaker. She is passionate about life, curious about humanity, inspired by philosophy, fueled by social justice, intrigued by the divine, geared towards creating beauty and magic, and connects with others through stories and art.