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All of a Sudden and Forever: Help and Healing After the Oklahoma City Bombing

Chris Barton (Goodreads Author),

Nicole Xu (Contributor)

4.21 · Rating details · 153 ratings · 46 reviews

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Hardcover, 40 pages

Published February 4th 2020 by Carolrhoda Books (R)

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Start your review of All of a Sudden and Forever: Help and Healing After the Oklahoma City Bombing

Apr 18, 2020 Betsy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction-picture-books, american-history

I didn’t intend to review this book in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. When I first saw it, months and months ago, I thought it would make a lot of sense to review a book about what happened after the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995, on its exact 25th anniversary. I had no idea that an equally historical moment would be happening to my country on April 18th of 2020 or that this book, with its understanding of people who “lost hope that anything would ever be okay again”, “suffered damage to t I didn’t intend to review this book in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. When I first saw it, months and months ago, I thought it would make a lot of sense to review a book about what happened after the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995, on its exact 25th anniversary. I had no idea that an equally historical moment would be happening to my country on April 18th of 2020 or that this book, with its understanding of people who “lost hope that anything would ever be okay again”, “suffered damage to their minds and spirits,” and the brave ones who “saw horrible things they would never forget”, would feel so on the nose in its assessment of the state of the world today. A pandemic is not a bombing, nor could it ever be mistaken for one. But if we are talking about events that change us all and that we must collectively heal from (whether literally or figuratively) then this book might be precisely what we need. Because this isn’t just a book about something that happened a quarter of a century ago. It’s a book that is meant to help you learn how to heal and recover and hope in the face of the horrendous. Parents, it’s time to homeschool a little history. The kind we need now more than ever.

On a morning in April of 1995 a truck blew up outside of a building in Oklahoma City. Lives were changed that day. Some lost their loved ones, while others never fully recovered themselves. But this is not about how the bombing came to be. This is about what came after. “Healing doesn’t always come easily,” and so many people needed help. Oddly, an elm tree survived the blast that day. After it had healed, people started to collect its seeds. They had already been traveling around the country and world, telling the story of the bombing. With the elm’s seeds, they began giving away little versions of what they dubbed “The Survivor Tree”. They also built a memorial and got on with their lives. Now the people closest to the bombing are passing on what they know to other generations. Backmatter includes an Author’s Note, an Illustrator’s Note, Recommended Reading, Other Recommended Resources, and extensive information on research material and interview subjects.

One narrative technique that Barton uses in this book is to begin it with a clear recitation of the facts of the bombing and then to punctuate the sentences that follow with assurances of what is “true” about the case. “It is true that many people were hurt, in many, many ways.” “It is true as well that some who survived had their bodies broken in ways large and small.” “And it is true that some found their lives flooded with anger, grief, or fear.” I wonder at Barton’s method of truth telling. Somehow he is capable of both telling hard truths about horrible things, while also establishing this small bit of distance between the reader and the events. It feels like a buffer of sorts. Barton is writing a book for children, remember, but in reading this I am reminded of the swath of books that were published in the wake of 9/11. I remember how much I wanted to find a book like this one at that time. Mostly we got inspiring stories about tugboats and roses and tightrope walkers, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of that. Still, there was a part of me that wanted to find a book that told children the truth about how hard it is to live through something like that. Hard, but not hopeless. Barton’s words don’t just let the reader in on the complicated truth behind massive, horrible events, but also give people experiencing similar tragedies permission to be hurt and angry and afraid. Tone is everything in Barton's writing. Without it, the book falls apart.

This book is not called “The Survivor Tree”. Do you find that significant? The tree graces the cover visually, but is not mentioned in either the title or subtitle. Wouldn’t it have felt like an entirely different book if it had been called something that maudlin? Notice too that it’s also not a book about the events that led up to the bombing and what happened that day. It could have been. No such book exists for kids, insofar as I know. Yet Barton has chosen to instead write a book about an aftermath, a choice that I find exceedingly wise. Sometimes it feels like we’re all living in the shadow of different catastrophes. Using a kind of emotional restraint in his writing, he explains to children such basic concepts as, for example, the purpose of memorials. Of the people affected by the bombing, “None of them had been hurt in exactly the same way, yet they could all seek some healing in this space they had in common.” It is an author’s choices that make or break a book. The title, the subject matter, the writing, it’s all part of a bigger picture.

Which brings us to the gutsy choices of artist Nicole Xu. Xu’s figures are uniformly featureless. That's no insult, that is a fact. They are literally bereft of expression. And so I got swept up in a kind of chicken-or-the-egg type of thinking. Were Xu’s characters in this book expressionless before she read Barton’s text or did Barton’s text, which is calm and clear and concise, inspire this emotional restraint on Xu’s part? Whatever the case, due to the weight of the subject matter, I cannot imagine this book with art by anyone except Nicole Xu. Facial expressions have their place in nonfiction picture books. However, so much more can be read from simple things like posture, position, and interactions. We don’t need to see tears in the eyes of a person sitting alone in a darkened room to know that they are sad. In her Illustrator’s Note at the back of the book, Xu mentions wanting to match the tone of the writing. Out of curiosity I looked at her other work to see if perhaps this was just in the vein of what she usually did. To my delight, I saw that this decision to wipe clean the faces of the characters was certainly an original decision on the artist’s part. That’s not the only thing she’s done here, though. Look at the ways in which she incorporates branches and roots into her images. So often these reach out, subtly, to people,

There is a moment at the end of All of a Sudden and Forever when Barton reveals to kids that the people most affected by this bombing will not live forever and over the years will slowly die. “Likewise, the Survivor Tree itself will not live forever,” but because its seeds have been planted and raised all over the world, the tree and its story has been passed on. And as the seeds go on, so too will the people who were comforted by the Survivor Tree initially. And that comfort will be shared and grow. Most of all, “We will remember.” Who is the hero of this book? Barton focuses on three specific groups that came together after the bombing: Families. Survivors. Helpers. This is their story, and just as they reached out to other people after their own calamities, this book reaches out too. As Barton says in his Author’s Note, “My hope is that as new tragedies enter our lives, or as we grapple with past losses, we can take some comfort from the experience and gained some perspective on their own journey.” At this moment in time we’re experiencing a mass pandemic the like of which we’ve never experienced before. It can be very scary, and some of the more jaded kids out there are worried that we may never return to “normal” again. No tragedy is exactly like any other, but I think there’s a great deal of good that comes from a book this adept. Learn the past. Heal the future.

For ages 7-10. ...more

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Dec 18, 2019 La Coccinelle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: children, arc, non-fiction, netgalley

As this is a picture book about the Oklahoma City bombing, it's not exactly something one reads for enjoyment. While I appreciate the intent behind the book, and think it could be a valuable teaching tool, I can't really say that I liked it, or that it's going to be appropriate for everyone.

The narrative is quite simple and focuses mostly on the aftermath and the healing process. (The bomber isn't even named, and the bombing itself takes up a very small part of the narrative.) Much is made of th ...more

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Aug 08, 2020 Kimberly rated it really liked it

Shelves: children-s-books, history, picture-books, death-and-dying

Oooof. This quiet book packs a punch.

I was 9 when the OKC bombing happened, and I only vaguely remember it. I learned more about it last year when I read Boom Town by Sam Anderson (which was excellent, and you should read it), and reading about it as an adult and a parent was horrifying. This book does a solid job of explaining the tragedy to young children without being graphic, but the sadness really comes through. I also appreciated the focus on healing and how people help each other after a ...more

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Nov 23, 2020 GalindoLibrarian rated it really liked it

Shelves: dealing-with-difficulties, picture-book, middle-grade, social-studies, authors-purpose, death_dying

While at first I wondered when I would want to read a book specifically explaining the Oklahoma City bombing to children, this book is a calm and wonderous look at any large tragedy that invites acceptance of the bad while wondering and showing how people move forward, together, in community, with help and hope.

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Sep 28, 2020 Alicia rated it really liked it

Shelves: amexperience, historical, middle-grade, nonfiction, picture-books

It's so close to being a 5-star book for me because the tremendous artwork is soothing and contemplative for the tragic event, and while I strongly liked the story, I needed one thing: the generalizations of "many, many" or "so many people" or "some of the people" or "sometimes" this or that was annoying to the story. If the focus was on the elm tree being the symbol of survivorship, then make it about that. If the book was based on the experiences of those interviewed (which are detailed at the ...more

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Apr 01, 2020 Vidya Tiru rated it it was amazing

My Thoughts

First Thoughts
Sometimes bad things happen, and you have to tell everyone. Sometimes terrible things happen, and everybody knows.
These are the first lines of the book and sound so much like the current times. And yet, books like this show it has happened before and we have all survived those things before to read about them today. So, yes, this is a somber story, but it is a story of hope, of the implicit trust each of us have in humanity, of the trust we place in each other.

And then m My Thoughts

First Thoughts
Sometimes bad things happen, and you have to tell everyone. Sometimes terrible things happen, and everybody knows.
These are the first lines of the book and sound so much like the current times. And yet, books like this show it has happened before and we have all survived those things before to read about them today. So, yes, this is a somber story, but it is a story of hope, of the implicit trust each of us have in humanity, of the trust we place in each other.

And then more
The book starts off with a brief narrative of what happened on the day of the bombing and then shifts to what happened and continues to happen after. I love that the book focuses on the aftermath of the tragedy and shows the impact of this event on those who remained, on the ones who lost loved ones in the tragedy. It also emphasizes the strength and resilience of the survivors including the Survivor Tree – the elm tree that survived the blast.
I certainly did not know about this tree until I read the book, and it was inspiring to find out about it. The Survivor Tree continues to provide hope and growth through its seedlings.

The Illustrations
Nicole Xu’s hauntingly beautiful ink and Photoshop illustrations capture the mood of the text perfectly, whether it be in gray and black tones to show the bombing itself or somber shades like gray and brown to capture the grief or additions of blues and greens to show the green seedlings of hope. The faceless renditions of people conveys a universality of all these feelings (the grief, the suffering, the terror, the trauma as well as the strength, the resilience, the help, the hope, the comfort).

Additional Notes
While the book notes that other tragedies will occur, it also shows through both powerful yet simple text and the accompanying illustrations that there is always hope, and there is always help.
The appendix includes author and illustrator notes, brief biographies of individuals interviewed for this, as well as additional resources that readers can use (a bibliography of books about community strength and internet resources).

In Summary
A must read. This is a wonderful resource to engage in conversations with children regarding tragedy, terror, grief, helping and healing the community, and hope. And while different, it is somehow a timely and timeless lesson too.

Note: Considering the subject matter, I would let parents and caregivers read the book first and then pass it on to their young readers, especially the youngest ones since you know your young ones best.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the eARC of the book; these are my honest opinions after reading this book. ...more

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Jan 27, 2020 Amit Verma rated it really liked it

It is nofiction illustrated work based on bombings of oklohoma city.
It focuses on a tall tree which survived the onslaught.
And then it became source of solace, inspiration and strength for survivors and their families.
It provided common ground for combined consciousness of the victims and their families.
It worked as a flag post for suffering masses to cling upon.
This underlines importance of collective effort to help each other and to preserve our nature.
In tough times and good times trees never ...more

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Jan 14, 2021 Danielle Hammelef rated it really liked it

The healing part of a tragedy shines through the calming illustrations and tone of the text. This is the first book I have read on this event and the hurt and healing that followed. My favorite part is the symbolism of the Survivor Tree and how its seeds were collected, sown, grown, and distributed to those impacted by the bombing.

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Nov 02, 2019 Etienne rated it it was amazing

Beautiful book, but in art and subject. This one talk about surviving a tragedy and keep on living after. Deep, emotional and I believe a book that truly can be helpful. Good job!

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Dec 06, 2019 Cynthia rated it it was amazing

Somberly but beautifully illustrated.
Respectfully, touchingly written-
Unraveling the many known and unknown facets of this story, giving honor to victims and those who loved them.

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Aug 24, 2020 Ruth Cook rated it it was amazing

Terrific book about a sad event.

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Dec 01, 2019 Becky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, picture-books

A national tragedy is recounted in this beautiful book; the focus is on recovery and the symbolism of a surviving elm tree and solace it provides to victims.

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Nov 02, 2019 Leah Horton rated it it was amazing

I was 9 years old when the Oklahoma bombing happened. I can still feel the understanding for the first time in my life that true evil existed. This was the first awful event I can recall. I can still remember the empty feeling in my stomach and the pain in my heart. That realization changes us all, this was mine.

This book is a beautiful tribute to an awful day in America’s history. The bombing did not discriminate. Children as well as adults were lost. Families were broken. Lovers were left mou ...more

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Jul 03, 2020 Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* rated it it was ok

Shelves: elementary-lower, optional, picture-book, non-fiction

All of a Sudden and Forever: Help and healing after the Oklahoma City Bombing by Chris Barton, illustrated by Nicole Xu. NON-FICTION PICTURE BOOK. Carolrhoda (Lerner), 2020. $20. 9781541526693

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

In 1995, Oklahoma City, and but extension America, were devastated by the homegrown terrorists who set off a bomb in the middle of their fairly quiet city.

Barton addresses the Oklamoma City bombing in the abstract, addressing groups of people as Some or Many ...more

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Feb 28, 2020 Panda Incognito rated it liked it

Shelves: picture-books, nonfiction-juvenile, history, read-in-2020

This nonfiction picture book tells the story of how people affected by the Oklahoma City bombing have dealt with their trauma and extended compassion to those harmed by subsequent terrorist attacks. This book also tells the story of the tree that survived the blast, showing how people traumatized by other attacks have received saplings from this tree as a symbol of hope. This approach to the story honors the way that humans attempt to make meaning out of suffering by extending kindness towards o ...more

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Jul 12, 2020 Tasha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nonfiction, childrens-books

This nonfiction picture book takes the tremendous tragedy of April 19, 1995 and leads readers to hope and a way forward. It looks deeply at the loss of life, at how so many people were lost and so many more were impacted by the deaths. It looks at the many broken bones and also the broken minds that resulted from the bombing too. The book then moves to after the bombing and the one tree that remained standing nearby. That American elm tree was battered and scorched by the blast, yet it remained ...more

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Jan 03, 2021 Stephanie Bange rated it it was amazing

A beautiful contemplation of experiencing extreme tragedy or trauma, loss, and moving on.
For anyone who has experienced a group tragedy or trauma, they know that everyone's experience was different. There is something comforting and healing to talk about your experience with others who also experienced it.

Twenty-five years after the bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Chris Barton has captured the sorrow, solemnity, and healing that has gone on in Oklahoma City. He sensitively ca ...more

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Sep 05, 2020 Tirzah rated it it was amazing

Shelves: elementary-class

This is the first picture book on the Oklahoma City bombing I have encountered. And it's a tenderly written one with lovely artwork and narrative appropriate for the targeted audience. From page one, readers will sense the author and illustrator's dedicated research and respect towards the victims, survivors, and their loved ones. But - as the author says - the bombing is not the end of the story. The book centers on what followed: the healing, the help given to those who were hurting, the Natio ...more

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Dec 04, 2019 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-school-reads, nonfiction-books

I was reading some new Net Galley titles tonight, and I came across Chris Barton’s upcoming, All of a Sudden and Forever: Help and Healing After the Oklahoma City Bombing (due February 2020). I felt compelled to write, since the Oklahoma City bombing happened while I was in labor with my second daughter. I remember watching the news story unfold between ice chips and contractions almost 25 years ago; now this book captures the day to be remembered in a creative picture book.

This book is a lovely ...more

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Jan 04, 2021 Gabrielle Stoller rated it it was amazing

Shelves: children-s, picture-book, juvenile-nonfiction, tough-topics, heartwarming

It is books like this that remind me of the humanity that still exists in the world. It is books like this that do inspire hope and resilience. It is books like this that do shine a light on dark events and how they touch lives....but often the good will overwhelm the bad.

I was five when Oklahoma City happened. So I guess I have lived through two terrorist attacks on American soil (what a comforting thought....). However, I knew very little about it and the Survivor Tree. My first foray was in ...more

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Dec 18, 2020 Amy rated it liked it

Shelves: picture-book, juvenille-non-fiction

Published on the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, this book takes an interesting look not so much at the actual event itself but at the emotional trauma and healing process experienced by so many people who were touched by this tragedy. While I appreciated the unique message and viewpoint of this story, it seemed a little vague and difficult to connect with. I'm also unsure who about who the intended audience is meant to be. The story is too frightening for younger children and wit ...more

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Dec 24, 2020 Diane rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical, sel, narrative-nonfiction, picture-books, read-in-2020, grief

“It would be a monument to what had been lost but also to the community of those still living.”

At the site of the Oklahoma City bombing, a tree was damaged but not destroyed. From that tree, seedlings were taken and used to grow more trees. This helped to create a memorial. The seedlings also gave hope and comfort to victims and survivors of the original bombing. “There were enough seedlings for families of those who had died to take one home to plant.” As they continue to collect seedlings ever ...more

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Feb 22, 2020 Molly rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020

This picture book is a poem about the Oklahoma City Bombing, which will have its 25th anniversary in April 2020. While it does briefly cover the bombing, I would say this is more about the pain, grief and eventually healing that happened afterwards. It would be a great book to help anyone going through grief and loss. The poetry is accompanied by beautiful illustrations that capture the events without being too graphic. Overall, a beautiful remembrance of the event, its victims and those left be ...more

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Jul 03, 2020 Alice rated it really liked it

Shelves: picture-books, ages-7-11

This picture book does an excellent job of showing the good that came out of the bombing, without discounting how horrific the event was or pretending that there were no long-term negative consequences.

The illustrations are darker for the pages of the story that are focused on the tragedy and brighter for the happier parts, supporting and helping to create the mood of the story. I love how the tree roots seem to flow from page to page as the story progresses, emphasizing the story of the elm tr ...more

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Oct 21, 2020 Beth rated it really liked it

Shelves: cybils-judge-2020

This is a book about the Oklahoma City Bombing and the museum built to commemorate that event, but more it's a book about what happens to people affected by tragedies like that. The illustrations are carefully designed from colors to shapes to depictions to reflect the tone of the words, which describe the emotions of the people affected and the process of dealing with trauma. The metaphor of the seedlings grown from a tree at the bomb site help show how growth continues but at its own pace, som ...more

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Dec 24, 2020 Ellon rated it really liked it

Shelves: slj-bestbooks-2020

Simple, straight forward text deals with a tragedy in a pretty kid friendly way. The illustrations are gorgeous and fit the text well. I wish I had read this before going to the memorial (back in 2017). I remember the chairs but don’t remember the tree and I definitely would have looked out for it more if I had read this book first.
I think this would be a great read aloud to talk about tragedy and helpers (I think of Mr. Rogers’s quote “look for the helpers.”) but I’m not so sure about just hav ...more

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Dec 12, 2019 Shari rated it it was amazing

I remember the Oklahoma bombing, one of the most horrific terrorist attacks I’d experienced in my young life. Chris Barton’s book All of a Sudden and Forever tells the story with such dignity and reverence, while all the while pointing readers to the hope that brings healing. The illustrations by Nicole Xu are beautiful and sensitive. I will definitely use this book in my classroom!

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Jun 11, 2020 Lea rated it it was amazing

Beautiful book. The words capture the sadness and grief that people felt by the Oklahoma City bombing. It also captures the resilience of people who’ve gone through tremendous grief and how they can live their lives as survivors, comforters to others, and to still find happiness and love. And the illustrations were amazing. The Survivor Tree wove in and out to enhance the words perfectly.

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Mar 15, 2021 Kim rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fic-kids, picture

This picture book does not focus on the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma; rather it focuses on the elm tree that survived. Seeds from that tree are harvested and taken to a nursery to start seedlings. Those seedlings are then given to family, friends, and visitors to plant at their homes.

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May 02, 2020 Edward Sullivan rated it really liked it

Shelves: u-s-history, children-s-nonfiction, death-and-dying, terrorism, violence

There is much I love about this affectingly told and illustrated story of grief and recovery, but I am troubled that the narrative suggests that the bombing is a random act of violence. It is only in the author's note that it is referred to as a "terrorist attack." ...more

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About Chris Barton

Chris Barton

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I'm the author of picture books including bestseller Shark vs. Train, Sibert Honor-winning The Day-Glo Brothers, and Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions, which was included on 21 state reading lists.

My newest books include Fire Truck vs. Dragon, All of a Sudden and Forever: Help and Healing After the Oklahoma City Bombing, What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? The Story of ...more