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The Princess and the Fog: A Story for Children with Depression ISBN: 9781849056557
Jones, Lloyd
Published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2015
The young princess is a happy little girl, full of fun and joy in life - until the fog comes. It comes gradually, and at first no one notices. But as it lingers and gets worse, the king and queen are finally aware that their daughter has a continual black cloud over her. She does nothing, and in spite of her parents best efforts, she refuses to see friends and feels completely alone. One friend persists, though, and when he finally asks if she would like to talk, she isn't sure; when she begins, it is hard to stop: 'They talked all night, but she still had more to say.' She talks to everyone after that, parents, her teacher, other friends - even her horse! And sometimes they have suggestions as to what might help. Fresh air and sunshine and challenges are a beginning, and the Castle Druid makes up potions. A Wise Woman is able to explain that fogs just happen, sometimes for a reason, and sometimes for no reason at all. Because so many people are trying to help and she doesn't feel alone any more, the little princess's fog begins to lift very gradually, but she knows that it will try to come back, and her answer to that is that she will know what to do when it does. The author and illustrator of this splendid book, Lloyd Jones, is a sufferer from depression and knows whereof he speaks. His pictures are a delight, full of colour and drama and messiness (after all, depression is a messy condition), and there is humour too. It is unusual to find a picture book about depression in children, and Jones is to be lauded for this wonderfully put-together production! Available from Amazon, from good book shops, and from the publisher: www.jkp.com.
Age: 4+