Reading Hedgehogs, Mental Health, Paintbrush Ladders, And More!

This picture book addresses childhood depression. Coen is depressed, and doesn’t feel like leaving his bed. One by one, his father, mother, and little sister try to coax him from the bed, but none of their approaches works. All Coen wants to do is huddle under the covers and feel his emotions. When his family gives him the space, quiet, and support to do just that, his blue feelings slowly dissapate, and he’s able to climb out of bed and start his day.

Based on the author’s experiences with anxiety, this picture book chronicles how a girl and her dog deal with day-to-day anxieties. Even though it’s the weekend, the child narrator and her dog have a lot of worries. But with some deep breaths and imagination, plus the bravery and kindness found in one another’s company, the two are able to go outside and play, despite their initial fears.

Sometimes the dad in this picture book is happy and full of energy, like the sun. But sometimes he’s deeply sad, lost in the blue, or even an angry red. This makes the child narrator feel sad and angry too. Both father and daughter go to therapy, and the dad is able to find his sunshine again, though the blue does still come back sometimes. This is a picture book I needed as a child. It’s a lovely color-based metaphor, and a must for children having a similar experience with a loved one. The author bases it on her own experiences.

I adore this middle grade graphic novel about Chinese-American middle-schooler Livy. Livy’s anxiety is so pervasive it forms into an alter-ego—Viola. Viola follows Livy to a new school, and makes it difficult for her to make new friends and participate in school. In the end, she does tell her parents and she begins to go to therapy, which helps her manage Viola and her anxiety. I love the growing trend of showing kids in therapy.