Was It the Chocolate Pudding?: A Story for Little Kids about Divorce

Ordered this book along w/3 others for my 5 & 3 yr old boys who are going thru a divorce between their mom & me. It is their favorite 1 out of the 4 - and it is nice that is places a primary emphasis on the role of the 2 boys with their father. However, mom is not negatively portrayed and gets a fairly equal amount of time in the story. It helps explain to the kids that the divorce is not their fault - but something that is only between the adults. It also helps emphasize that both their parents still love them wherever they go. At times, this story is a little more complicated, but I know the message is getting through. I also highly recommend "TWO HOMES", which is a little less complicated and is definitely level-handed for both parents.

Book is geared towards a young audience but my 7 year old found it easy to read. He reads it often when he misses his dad and even wrote a book report on it. Takes the blame off of the child and frees them to love both parents inspite of the situation. Was a bit taken aback by the mother being the one to leave. Otherwise pleased.

Its sad to have to buy a book like this, but it has really helped my 3 year old daughter understand why her parents don't live together anymore. She asks to read it all the time. Even though it is kind of long for a 3yo, she pays attention the whole time.

My daughter asks me to read this book every day. It helps her to cope and understand divorce. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

As a professional Colorado divorce (attorney-trained) mediator, I don't often fall in love with new children's books about divorce; there are simply too many fine ones already out there. Sandra Levin's Was It the Chocolate Pudding?: A Story for Little Kids About Divorce, however, is a welcome exception, a total delight! Chocolate Pudding perfectly captures the consterning confusion divorce ushers into the world of a six-year-old boy and his little brother. The boy just knows his mom moved out of their home, suddenly and without explanation -- because he smeared chocolate pudding all over his brother one day. After all, he muses, "I was in big trouble mister!" for getting carried away in what seemed like just so much fun. Levin's picturebook world is accompanied by his reassuring voice patiently explaining to the young reader all these new and complex adult words and phrases: 'Explaining' is when you talk to somebody about something so they can understand it, even if that somebody is a little kid. 'Differences' is the grown-up word for everybody not liking the same thing and not always getting their way. 'Adjusting-to-our-new-arrangement' is what you do when you don't have an ideal situation and it's still okay. Gorgeously illustrated by Bryan Langdo, Chocolate Pudding's punchline is the boy's huge relief upon discovering it was NOT his pudding antics that led his mom to leave the family. In fact, he learns, he and his brother didn't have a darn thing to do with his family's breakup! (And just to be sure that all kids hearing the story understand: "Relief," he notes, "is the grown-up word for feeling like you're carrying a big heavy book bag and someone takes it off your back.") Levin's premise is that "big stuff like divorce needs some explaining," and Chocolate Pudding is more than up to the task. Highly recommended for young children (perhaps 2 to 6 years of age) and anyone touched by divorce's sometimes long shadow.