Short description:

This illustrated storybook is designed to be used therapeutically by professionals and caregivers supporting children whose parents are going through a separation. With engaging and colourful illustrations it tells the story of a brother and sister, who are helped to come to terms with the new, changing shape of their family.

Long description:

This beautifully illustrated and sensitive storybook is designed to be used therapeutically by professionals and caregivers supporting children whose parents are going through a separation. With engaging and colourful illustrations that can be used to prompt conversation, it tells the story of a brother and sister, who are helped to come to terms with the new, changing shape of their family.

In this bundle, it is accompanied by the Storybook Manual, a resource that has been designed to support practitioners and caregivers with practical and creative ideas on how to use illustrated storybooks therapeutically with children.

Key features include:

• An inviting and sensitively written fairy tale, with a story and illustrations that have been specifically designed to be used with children going through difficult life-events








• A supporting manual that offers a range of prompts, ideas and activities to encourage children?s imagination and creativity, develop confidence and emotional literacy as well as deepen engagement and understanding of storybooks.








• Downloadable worksheets to support the story and explore specific themes further

This is an invaluable resource for all professionals looking to use stories and images therapeutically with children whose parents are going through a separation. The resources can also be adapted for wider use with siblings and other family members.

A gentle story of the importance of seeking help when family members and others around the child may be struggling. The Island supports children who may feel alone, encouraging them to reach out for kindness and support.

This sensitively written and delightfully illustrated book will reassure young children who are isolated by living with a parent with a mental health problem, that it is not their fault and it is not their job to fix a parent?s illness. It opens up a dialogue for a child to acknowledge a range of emotions that they may be experiencing.

The Island sensitively depicts the isolation and loneliness a child may feel living with a parent with depression. The story allows for discussion with the child to explore their caring role and the self-blame felt by children who have a lived experience of parental mental health. The story gives a powerful message, encouraging a child to share their experiences and opening up conversations about this difficult subject.

The power of these stories lies in their deeper natural and archetypal metaphor, something like the deeper Mother Earth continuity below any surface. Before even reading any of these Therapeutic Fairy-Tales, you feel their tenderness through the stunningly beautiful illustrations.

Table of Contents:

Storybook Manual  The Island: For Children with a Parent Living with Depression