A Blue Kind of Day; Rachel Tomlinson, illustrated by Tori-Jay Mordey

Coen is having one of those days, a day where he just doesn’t feel like his usual self and his body is feeling all sorts of funny things. He is blue, trapped, tense, angry, heavy. His loving family have lots of ideas to cheer Coen up; mum tells jokes, dad wants to play footie and his sister Junie has brought her teddy. Nothing works. Slowly but surely Coen is able to show his family exactly what he needs…

We all have difficult days like Coen, ‘Slumping, sighing, sobbing,’ kind of days. But those days won’t last forever and with a loving family around you who know that feelings cannot be rushed, the sadness will eventually melt away and the feeling of warmth will return.

Written by registered psychologist Rachel Tomlinson, A Blue Kind of Day is a heartfelt and meaningful story about how sadness, feeling down and depression makes you feel. It is not about how to fix the feelings of somebody else but about giving them the time and space until they are ready. And when they are ready, to offer love and support.

Children need to know that it is ok not to feel ok and that feelings of overwhelming sadness are normal, Tomlinson handles a very sensitive subject gently and offers comfort to those who may be feeling blue. Short sentences beautifully convey how Coen is feeling and simple emotion-filled illustrations capture the feelings of the family members. Empathy, compassion and understanding shine throughout this thoughtful story making this an important book to share together.

Further information on depression, how to spot it in young children and supporting strategies are included in the author’s note.

With huge thanks to Penguin Random House for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for 4+.