Children's Mental Health Week with Graffeg

Books that acknowledge or explore mental health issues can help to increase awareness, encourage dialogue, reduce stigma and develop real understanding, particularly for young readers who may be experiencing these feelings for the first time. 


Take a look at our recommended reads for Children's Mental Health Week:


Goodbye Hobbs

Emma Bettridge & Josephine Birch


Merlin won’t go out. Not without his best friend Hobbs. Join Merlin as he goes on an adventure to learn how to say ‘Goodbye Hobbs’.


A story of what it means to love and lose a friend, and to find reasons to go for a walk again. 


Goodbye Hobbs is the perfect tool to help open up discussions about grief with children experiencing it for the first time, whether it be of a beloved pet, friend or family member


Imagine Eating Lemons: A Children's Introduction to Mindfulness

Jason Rhodes & Richard Dearing


Chester Chestnut is a happy little chap, but sometimes even the happiest of chaps get worried or nervous and when this happens Chester’s tummy starts to hurt. Follow the journey of Chester Chestnut as he learns about his anxious thoughts and feelings, where they come from and how to control them.


Imagine Eating Lemons is a fun and engaging story, with an easy-to understand explanation of what anxiety isand ways to cope with it inspired by the authors own struggles with anxiety.


Rita wants a Dragon

Máire Zepf & Mr Ando


Meet Rita. She’s a little girl with very big ideas. When Rita gets cross she imagines she has a ferocious dragon that will make the world shudder with anger. But even the hottest tempers can be soothed and Rita’s mum knows just how.


Little Bunny's Book of Thoughts

Steve Smallman


When everything feels like a challenge, take time to stop and breathe with Little Bunny's book of calm, quiet and mindfulness.


Author Steve Smallman presents an uplifting, illustrated, rhyming text encouraging people of all ages to take a moment and try something new. With delightful illustrations of Little Bunny experiencing challenges and showing a range of emotions, this is a book which will speak to children and adults alike.


Little Bunny's Book of Friends

Steve Smallman


When it feels like your ears are beginning to flop and all of the bounce has gone out of your hop, when everything’s driving you right round the bend, you know what you need? What you need is…a friend.


Little Bunny returns with a host of friends big and small. Follow Little Bunny as he discovers how important friends can be, how they can help you tackle some of the more complex emotions, as well as how to be a good friend to others.

Mouse & Mole: The Secret of Happiness

Joyce Dunbar & James Mayhew


Mouse and Mole’s charming, gentle and humourous adventures continue in this new addition to the much-loved series.


The Secret of Happiness

Mole dreams that he finds the secret of happiness and wakes a grumpy Mouse to tell him, but then Mole instantly forgets! Mole spends all day trying to remember, bringing Mouse and all their friends to join his search, but will he manage to discover the secret again?


This Way and That

Mole sets off for a walk going this way and that, but Mouse keeps asking him to run errands for him. But why is Mouse making Mole run these seemingly useless errands, and will Mole ever be able to go for his care-free wander?


A Good Read

Mouse and Mole sit down for a good read, but Mole can’t stop fidgeting and distracting Mouse. Whether it’s finding a place to sit, having hiccups, itching and scratching or yawning, Mole just can’t stay still.


The New Girl

Nicola Davies & Cathy Fisher


A child starts a new school in a strange new town. The children in her class are hostile towards her and unhappy about the stranger in their midst, refusing to include her. The girl’s response is to create something beautiful that transforms their attitude towards her and their vision of themselves and their own lives in this inspiring story.




Perfect

Nicola Davies & Cathy Fisher


Perfect is a story of anticipation, disappointment, acceptance and, ultimately, love. Written by award-winning children’s author Nicola Davies, it tells the story of a young boy learning to accept his baby sister as being perfect in every way in spite of her disability. Suffused with natural imagery, Perfect is an ideal way to open up the subject of disability with children, as well as being a great story in its own right. Beautifully illustrated by Cathy Fisher, Perfect is a truly remarkable book guaranteed to bring a lump to the throat.


The Pond

Nicola Davies & Cathy Fisher


The Pond is a touching picture book about a young boy, and his family, overcoming the loss of his father. This colourful, emotional book is filled with natural imagery, and will teach children not only about death and loss, but the importance of the natural world. From Nicola Davies and Cathy Fisher, the duo behind the beautiful children’s book Perfect.

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