Depression is a difficult illness to understand, even for an adult. These blog posts will attempt to highlight children’s books that attempt to make the topic clearer for a child who may not be able to comprehend what may be happening with a parent.
Depression is a difficult illness to understand, even for an adult. These blog posts will attempt to highlight children’s books that attempt to make the topic clearer for a child who may not be able to comprehend what may be happening with a parent.
Please note that I have not read these books unless noted. If and when I do read them, I will create separate posts with a personal review. Click on the book cover or the title to go to the Amazon product page.
Why is Mommy Sad? A Child’s Guide to Parental Depression by Paul D. Chan, MD and illustrated by Laurie A. Faust.
Written by a medical doctor who is also an editor with the Journal of Psychiatry, the book is intended to be a read-together book for children of parents with depression. This 12-page picture book published in 2006 is intended for younger children. I could not find a Kindle or electronic version of it.
Buy from Amazon.com
Buy from Your Local Independent Bookstore
Why Are You So Sad: A Child’s Book about Parental Depression by Beth Andrews and illustrated by Nicole Wong
Written by a family therapist, this 32-page picture book is intended for children 5 and up. According to a review on the Metapsychology Online Reviews site, “this little book will help children to start formulating their ideas about their parent’s emotional troubles” (full review on their site). I could not find a Kindle or electronic version.
Buy from Amazon.com
Buy from Your Local Independent Bookstore
Can I Catch It Like a Cold?: Coping With a Parent’s Depression by The Centre For Addiction And Mental Health and illustrated by Joe Weissmann.
This 32-page book, intended for 5 to 8 year olds, was written by Canada’s foremost experts in the field (according to their description), and was created in partnership with The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada’s largest health sciences centre devoted to mental illness and addiction. According to the CAMH website, “Why is my parent acting this way? Will my parent get better? Is it my fault? Can I catch depression like a cold? These are among the many questions asked by children when a parent has depression” (see book’s page on CAMH website). The book has been awarded the Curriculum Services Canada’s CSC Seal. I could only find a hardcover version, but there are used copies available on Amazon.
Buy from Amazon.com
Buy from Your Local Independent Bookstore
