DARK CLOUD

Today is Child and Youth Mental Health Day, so I wanted to feature a new picture book about depression & anxiety.

I love that publishers are creating kids’ books that talk about mental health. Dark Cloud does this with sensitivity – it doesn’t make depression scary, but also doesn’t pretend that everything will always resolve and be perfect.

Abigail has a dark cloud that follows her around, making everything damp. It takes the joy out of the things that she used to love – even her birthday. There are moments that she can hide it away, like in a tall sandcastle, but it finds its way back to her the next day. “Some days, it’s bigger than others but shrinks down after it rains.”

The illustration is lovely, highlighting the way that some of Abigail’s days feel weighed down in black and white, and others have streams of sunshine that manage to burst through the clouds. We see her with her family and her classmates, and learn that some of them have their own days battling with their mental health, too. She feels safe when her dad is honest that he has hard days. The artwork plays with shadows throughout.

This book was kindly sent to me by the publisher @kidscanpress (thank you!), written by @annalazowski, and illustrated by @pennynl. Opinions are my own. You can purchase it here using my affiliate link – all commissions go to supporting my blog. Thanks!