A Blue Kind of Day

by Rachel Tomlinson, Tori-Jay Mordey (Illustrator)

Overview

A moving picture book debut about depression, sensory awareness, and the power of listening, from psychologist and author of Teaching Kids to be Kind.

Coen is having a sniffling, sighing, sobbing kind of day.

His family thinks they know how to cheer him up. His dad wants to go outside and play, Mom tells her funniest joke, and his little sister shares her favorite teddy. Nothing helps. But one by one, they get quiet and begin to listen. After some time, space, and reassurance, Coen is able to show them what he needs.

With poignant text and stunning illustrations, A Blue Kind of Day explores how depression might feel in the body and shows us how to support the people we love with patience, care, and empathy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593324011
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	04/05/2022
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	513,264
Product dimensions:	10.31(w) x 10.31(h) x 0.37(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Rachel Tomlinson is the author of Teaching Kids to Be Kind (Skyhorse) and is a registered psychologist who has worked with adults, families, and children in a variety of settings. She has presented at national conferences on mental health topics including trauma and play therapy. She also serves as a subject-matter expert for journalists on topics such as parenting, child development, and relationships.

Tori-Jay Mordey is an Indigenous Australian illustrator whose work traverses multiple mediums, such as digital illustration, drawing, painting, printmaking, film and murals. Her Torres Strait Islander and English heritage is often reflected in her contemporary Indigenous art practice— producing work based around her family and siblings as a way of understanding herself, her appearance and racial identity.

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR A BLUE KIND OF DAY

USBBY 2023 Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2022
A Kirkus Best Book of 2022
An Evanston Public Library Best Book of 2022

* "A loving tribute to the power of loved ones’ support during trying times." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review 

“Children may appreciate the understanding, validating approach to the topic, including the reassuring reminder that “blue feelings” can change." —Booklist

From the Publisher

06/01/2022

K-Gr 4—This gentle exploration of depression in children feels like Cori Doerrfeld's The Rabbit Listened meets Judith Viorst's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Coen is a young dark-skinned boy with a mop of curls who wakes up with blue feelings radiating off of him. Sheathed in a blanket for protection, we see the physical manifestation of his feelings not only through Coen but also through his teddy bear. His mother, father, and sister try to cheer him up, but Coen needs time to emerge from his cocoon. The digital illustrations are appropriate shades of blue for much of the book. From Australia, Mordey, who has a shared Torres Strait Islander and English heritage, has modeled the characters after her own family. This book would pair well with SEL lessons on self-awareness as a read-aloud. School counselors may also find that the text opens discussions with students who lack the language to name their emotions. An author's note provides ways to identify symptoms of depression and ideas for supporting children exhibiting them. VERDICT Sparse yet effective text may serve all ages well in helping them give voice to unexpressed feelings. A recommended purchase for public, elementary, and middle school libraries.—Monisha Blair

School Library Journal

★ 2022-01-25
Blue is not just a color.

Coen, a young Indigenous Australian boy, is having a difficult day. His body is coiled and tense, his feelings are “a deep, murky kind of blue,” and bed is the only place he finds relief. Mum says that “it can’t be that bad.” Dad thinks fresh air will do the trick. “What’s wrong with you?” his little sister, Junie, innocently demands. Coen feels “like a lost kite: loose in the breeze, with feelings that tangled like string”—and tangled Coen wants to be left alone. His family doesn’t understand. Then, little by little, Coen begins to respond to his parents’ and sibling’s loving patience and their assurance that his blue feelings won’t last forever. Author/psychologist Tomlinson deftly delves into the “muddled-up” moods of childhood depression with sympathy and compassion. With emotive descriptions such as “it was a slumping, sighing, sobbing kind of day,” the text invites readers to empathize rather than advise a child who is very much in pain. Mordey’s illustrations incorporate character design based on her own family, bringing a special warmth to this depiction of a racially-mixed household and their tender interactions. The limited palette of gentle blues, pinks, and apricot allows viewers to focus on the family members’ emotions. The author’s note further encourages families to recognize the different ways children process emotions and provides suggestions for helping children work through these overwhelming feelings. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A loving tribute to the power of loved ones’ support during trying times. (Picture book. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews