Books that deal with mental illness

Mental health and wellbeing is entwined in everything we do at The Story Project. All our lessons are created, not just to match the PSHE curriculum, but also with wellbeing in mind. In fact, every lesson includes a ‘Settle’ activity which gives children the tools to calm and manage their emotions. Sometimes though, we need a book that specifically and explicitly deals with mental health and mental illness.

Children learn lots about physical illness; it’s easier to ‘see’ and its likely that they will have experienced some physical illness themselves through the usual coughs, colds and germs. While mental illness can be common (1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem, according to Mind), it is often discussed less and the affects are not as easy to spot by children. Thankfully, the conversation about mental illness is becoming ever more open and frequent, both at home and in schools. This is really important, as children may experience their own mental health problems as they grow older or have somebody close to them suffer.

It can be tricky to know how to talk about mental illness in a child-appropriate way. We can fear saying the wrong thing or making the topic too abstract or confusing. Luckily, books are here to help! And there are some beautiful and wonderful titles that deal with mental illness in a sensitive and empathic way.

Here are some of our favourites for:

Grey by Laura Dockrill and Lauren Child

KS1

A fantastic story created by a mighty duo, Laura Dockrill (author of ‘What Have I Done?’ – a book we highly recommend for adults about postpartum mental illness; a book which is heartbreaking, raw, and ultimately beautiful in equal measure) and Lauren Child (author and illustrator extraordinaire!). This is one of our favourite books for children about mental health. It is similar to The Colour Thief in the way it uses colour to explain emotion, but for a younger audience.

Saturday is Pancake Day by Bernadette Green and Daniel Gray-Barnett.

KS1

A very gentle introduction to mental illness, which forms the uncurrent of this book. Its fun and entertaining story that shows a young family cooking pancakes for their Dad in an effort to cheer him up. The book sensitively shows the importance of rest, and reminds us that family will always be there to support us when we are low.

The Elephant by Peter Carnavas.

LKS2 (great for Year 3!)

A short chapter book about depression and family. Olive spends a lot of time with her Grandad, because her Dad is following by a shadowing grey elephant that won’t leave him alone. The book focusses on small ways we can support family members experiencing depression, and also sensitively touches on the little girls own feelings of sadness.

Night Shift by Debi Gliori

KS2

A beautiful and well-illustrated black-and-white story that delves into depression and what it means. As with all great children’s books, it’s genius is in its weaving of simplicity and complexity – making the difficult, easy and the confusing, clear.

Small Things by Mel Tregonning 

KS2

Another beautiful book! This story shows a small boy struggling with anxiety. A wonderful wordless picture book with bounds of depth and opportunity for reflective discussion.

The Mystery of the Missing Mum by Frances Moloney

KS2

A great story about a boy who is determined to find out what has happened to his mum. Follow the tale as it explores his Mum’s mental illness and shows, with great empathy and understanding, the affect it can have on families.

The Colour Thief by Andrew Fusek Peters 

KS2

A book that we use in our Story Project Curriculum, it is a wonderfully poignant story about a little boy and his dad. Exploring depression in an easy-to-access way, this book is a sensitive introduction to mental illness for KS2.

The Summer I Saved the Wild by Rachel Faturoti

KS2

A fun and relatable story about a young girl who loves nature, but finds it difficult to explore beyond confines of her house due to her parents’ anxieties about the outside world. It touches on worries and mental illness.

Swan Song by Gill Lewis.

KS2

A fantastic book for Year 6 about the pressures faced by teenagers and the potential impact on mental health. A sweeping novel set to the backdrop of the beautiful Welsh coastline.