The Girl with the Golden Ribbon
Sometimes courage is loud.
Sometimes courage is quiet.
And sometimes it begins with one little girl wearing a golden ribbon.
By Elizabeth Lowman
Ages 4–8 | Picture Book
Available September 1, 2026
About the Book
Austen loves ribbons.
Blue ones. Pink ones. Ribbons tied around presents, wagons and the neck of her favorite stuffed elephant. To Austen, every ribbon has a story.
Then one day, her mother brings home a golden ribbon.
Soon, Austen's world begins to change. There are hospital rooms and doctors, treatments and days when being brave feels especially hard. But along the way, Austen begins noticing something else: kindness.
A nurse who knows just what to say. People who show up when they're needed. Small gestures that make difficult days feel a little less frightening.
And when Austen meets another child who looks exactly how she once felt, she discovers that the hope others carried for her is something she can carry for someone else.
Inspired by a family's real experience with childhood cancer, The Girl with the Golden Ribbon is a tender story about courage, compassion and the extraordinary difference a small act of kindness can make.
The Story Behind the Story
The Girl with the Golden Ribbon began with a story I never expected to tell.
When our daughter, Austen, was diagnosed with cancer, our world suddenly became filled with things no child, or parent, ever expects: hospital rooms, long days of treatment, uncertainty, fear and a whole new vocabulary we never wanted to learn.
But those days were filled with something else, too.
Kindness.
It came from family and friends who showed up again and again. From nurses who knew exactly when Austen needed encouragement. From doctors and hospital staff who cared for the little girl behind the diagnosis. From people who brought meals, sent messages, made us laugh, sat beside us and reminded us that we weren't carrying everything alone.
They carried hope with us.
Years later, when I began writing The Girl with the Golden Ribbon, I wanted to capture that part of the journey.
Austen's story inspired the heart of the book, but this isn't simply a retelling of what happened to her. It's a story about what courage can look like when you're little. Sometimes it's being brave enough to face something frightening. Sometimes it's resting when you're tired. Sometimes it's crying. And sometimes it's finding a way to make someone else feel a little less afraid.
Of course, the golden ribbon represents childhood cancer awareness, but in this story it becomes something more. As Austen shares it, it becomes a symbol of courage, kindness and hope; something that can be passed from one person to another.
I wrote this book for children facing difficult days, for the families walking beside them, and for every person who steps in to help carry the weight.
Most of all, I wrote it in honor of my Austen, and all the people who carried hope with us.
Because sometimes hope is something we carry for ourselves. And sometimes, when it gets too heavy, someone else carries it for us. 💛
Perfect For
The Girl with the Golden Ribbon offers a gentle way to begin conversations about courage, kindness, fear and hope.
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Families navigating childhood cancer
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Children learning about courage and empathy
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Helping children understand a friend or classmate's illness
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Hospital and pediatric oncology programs
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School counselors and child-life specialists
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Classroom conversations about kindness
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Anyone who needs a reminder that courage doesn't always look courageous
A Look Inside
A few moments from The Girl with the Golden Ribbon.