"Abigail had a flutter of butterflies.
But so did someone else.
He sat beside her on the bench
and didn't say a word."
We all know that kids need to see themselves in the books they read. Whether it is race, religion, size, or culture, they want to know there are other kids out there who are the same as they are. So it is with childhood depression; thankfully it is being acknowledged in the books kids have access to reading. There are some very good books that help them see, and talk about the feelings they are having.
Abigail is host to a dark cloud that appears suddenly one rainy day. It follows her where she goes. The kids at school notice it. They would like to toss it around, but have no interest in spending time with Abigail. She feels a 'swirl of fog' at ballet that gets in her way and keeps her from returning to dance.
Abigail is unable to come out from under the cloud, the fog, the shadow. Her dad tries to help with a yellow polka-dot bow when he combs her hair. Wearing it to sit on a bench, beside a boy as quiet as she is, changes nothing. While walking with her dad, she realizes that he also has cloudy days.
These are small moments that show her she is not alone. It helps when accepting that the cloud is going to be there. She can learn ways to let it have less control on some days.
"Abigail had a dark cloud.
It followed her to the beach.
She trapped it in a tall sandcastle
and went for pistachio ice cream."
Language and art work together to create a clear look at child's emotions and struggles. As Abigail accepts her feelings and moves slowly forward, the images become more colorful. The illustrations throughout are very effective in conveying the range of feelings through use of darkness and color.
Sensitive in its portrayal of a young child, and very beneficial for encouraging quiet talk about feelings of anxiety and depression.
No comments:
Post a Comment