Shenandoah Chefalo is the author of the new children's picture book The Best Bunny: The Adventures of Lil Shen (and Her Inspirational Sidekick, Bunny Best). Her other books include Garbage Bag Suitcase. She is a trauma specialist and speaker.
Q: What inspired you to write The Best Bunny, and how did you create your character Lil Shen?
A: The inspiration came from noticing a gap in children's literature—specifically, stories that address grief, loss, and complex emotions in a way that's both emotionally honest and developmentally appropriate. I wanted to give kids a tool to feel, not fix.
Lil Shen emerged as a reflection of so many children I've met through my trauma-informed work and, honestly, a reflection of my younger self. She's observant, sensitive, and internalizes more than the adults around her realize. I gave her the emotional depth that children often possess, even when adults overlook it.
Q: How would you describe the relationship between Lil Shen and her late grandmother?
A: Their relationship is the emotional anchor of the story. Lil's grandmother wasn't just her guardian—she was her safe place. The person who saw her. That kind of bond is powerful, especially for children who experience emotional inconsistency or disconnection elsewhere.
Her death leaves a silence that no one else seems to know how to fill. That absence of voice, presence, love—is what Lil is grieving, and what Bunny Best helps her navigate.
Q: What role do you see Bunny Best playing in the story?
A: Bunny Best is part comfort object, part guide, part imaginative mirror. They allow Lil to give shape to her feelings, to ask questions she can't ask aloud, and to explore emotions she might otherwise suppress. Bunny Best is not there to distract her from her grief—they're there to accompany her through it.
For some kids, it's a stuffed animal; for others, it's art, a story, or a tree in the backyard. Bunny Best represents whatever it is that helps a child feel safe enough to heal. When Lil first hears Bunny Best speak, it's not to cheer her up; it's to help her feel seen. That's the kind of gentle presence I wanted Bunny to embody.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?
A: I hope kids feel less alone. I hope they see that grief can be quiet, confusing, and okay, that their feelings—even the messy ones—are valid and authentic. And maybe most importantly, that they don't need to be "better" to be loved. They need to be themselves, wherever they are in the process.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I'm continuing Lil and Bunny Best's journey. The next book explores what it's like to take on a move and start a new school after a significant loss—how we carry our grief into new spaces, and what bravery looks like when the world keeps moving forward.
I'm also developing activity resources to help educators and therapists use The Best Bunny more interactively with children in the classroom and clinical settings.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: This story isn't just for kids. It's also a tool for the adults who are doing their best to support children through grief, loss, and change.
So often, we worry about saying the "right" thing. But what I've learned—both personally and professionally—is that presence matters more than perfection. If this book provides adults with a starting point for that conversation, then I feel like I have accomplished something impactful and truly meaningful.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was conducted in partnership with Shenandoah Chefalo. Enter this giveaway for a chance to win one of 10 hardcover copies of The Best Bunny: Adventures of Lil Shen and Her Inspirational Sidekick Bunny Best. And for one extra-lucky grand prize winner, there's a signed copy of the book, a snuggly Bunny Best plush, and an Amazon gift card.
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