This engaging and sensitive book fills a major gap in showing a young child the impact on a parent of a mental illness such as bipolar disorder. In 2016, it won the Australian Association of Family Therapy Annual Award for children's picture books and is on the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge list. Contains four pages of teachers/parents notes.
"Sometimes Mummy has happy days, where she talks and laughs all day long. Sometimes Mummy is sad. She cries all day and stays in bed. Sometimes she's so sad she has to go to hospital." The symptoms of a mental illness can be challenging enough for adults to understand and live with. For a child whose parent lives with bipolar disorder, witnessing and experiencing the highs and lows that this particular mental illness brings with it can be very difficult for a child to process. 'My Happy Sad Mummy' provides both a starting point; for the necessary dialogue that will lead the child to a clearer awareness and understanding of their parent's illness, as well as comfort; to know that their experience is a shared one. "I strongly recommend 'My Happy Sad Mummy' - I have not seen anything of its like before." - Professor Philip Mitchell (AM, Scientia Professor, Head of the School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales and Director of the Black Dog Institute) "Author Michelle's personal journey of living these experiences suffuses the book with meaning and a gentle humour, which will provide families with wonderful opportunities for conversation about making sense of the situation." - Rose Cuff (Executive Director, Satellite Foundation. Victorian FaPMI Coordinator - Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness).
My Happy Sad Mummy is an engaging and sensitive picture book that fills a major gap in explaining to a young child the impact that a major mental illness such as bipolar disorder has on a parent.
"Sometimes Mummy has happy days, where she talks and laughs all day long. Sometimes Mummy is sad. She cries all day and stays in bed. Sometimes she's so sad she has to go to hospital." The symptoms of a mental illness can be challenging enough for adults to understand and live with. For a child whose parent lives with bipolar disorder, witnessing and experiencing the highs and lows that this particular mental illness brings with it can be very difficult for a child to process. 'My Happy Sad Mummy' provides both a starting point; for the necessary dialogue that will lead the child to a clearer awareness and understanding of their parent's illness, as well as comfort; to know that their experience is a shared one. "I strongly recommend 'My Happy Sad Mummy' - I have not seen anything of its like before." - Professor Philip Mitchell (AM, Scientia Professor, Head of the School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales and Director of the Black Dog Institute) "Author Michelle's personal journey of living these experiences suffuses the book with meaning and a gentle humour, which will provide families with wonderful opportunities for conversation about making sense of the situation." - Rose Cuff (Executive Director, Satellite Foundation. Victorian FaPMI Coordinator - Families where a Parent has a Mental Illness).
Written and illustrated by the talented and award-winning author-illustrator Rebecca Cobb, this extraordinary book deals with the loss of a parent from a child's point of view. Perfectly pitched text and evocative artwork explore the many emotions a bereaved child may experience, from anger to guilt and from sadness to bewilderment. And importantly, the book also focuses on the positive - the recognition that the child is still part of a family, and that his memories of his mother are to be treasured. Beautifully illustrated with moments of wonderful warmth and the gentlest humour, Missing Mummy is a touching, honest and helpful book that approaches a difficult subject with great integrity.
This friendly picture book helps young children make sense of mixed-up emotions. Happy, and also sad. Excited, but nervous too. Feeling friendly, with a little shyness mixed in. Mixed feelings are natural, but they can be confusing. There are different kinds of happy—the quiet kind and the “noisy, giggly, jump and run” kind. And there are conflicting feelings, like proud and jealous, frustrated and determined. With gentle messaging and charming illustrations, a little girl talks about her many layered feelings, ultimately concluding, “When I have more than one feeling inside me, I don’t have to choose just one. I know that all my feelings are okay at the same time.” A special section for adults presents ideas for helping children explore their emotions, build a vocabulary of feeling words, know what to do if they feel overwhelmed, and more.
A memoir by American former actress and singer Jennette McCurdy about her career as a child actress and her difficult relationship with her abusive mother who died in 2013
The joy of being a mom is palpable in this touching tribute to parenthood. Whimsical illustrations capture the poignant moments that make motherhood so special: pinning up a daughter's hair, getting messy during playtime, reading quietly side by side, and, above all, cherishing precious moments together. Bright pops of Pantone coral infuse each spread, and a cloth spine adds an irresistible specialness. At once a treasured Mother's Day gift and a year-round "I love you," this book will delight parents and children in a celebration of a supremely meaningful relationship. This lovely testament to the inimitable mother/daughter bond goes straight to the heart.
The story of a baby who is sad and sets off one day in search of a mummy. He meets a cat, a teddy, a clockwork hen and an uncle who all refuse to be his mummy but offer to help him in his search. They find a lady who has no baby and she agrees to bethe baby's mummy. They all have tea together and uncle reads a story about a baby who had no daddy and this leads to another search until finally a daddy is found too!