Perry Panda

by H.M. Bashford, Russell Scott Skinner (Illustrations)

An upbeat rhyming story for young children whose parent(s) are suffering from depression. Perry's mum is very sad and he is worried it is his fault. He speaks with his grandma who explains in simple terms what might cause depression and what the treatment(s) might be.

28 pages, Paperback

Published August 22, 2016

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a strong professional interest in mental health, and so I was really pleased to see this book addressing the issue of parent mental health problems. Perry Panda is about a young panda whose mother has depression. It puts some common symptoms of depression (sadness, irritability, tearfulness) into a child-friendly way, that young people will hopefully be able to recognise. It points out these signs, such as mummy 'shouting and snapping' in a way that is relatable to young people who perhaps are not emotionally mature enough to recognise what is going on.

Perry Panda addresses the questions that young people might have about whether it's their fault that their parent is sad or mad, and very effectively dispels them. It asserts that the child is NOT to blame, and I think that is the most important message here.

I have nothing but praise for this book as it addresses such an important issue in a very concise and effective way.

[Ruth Frampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that concerned parent, grandparent or even healthcare professions should have available to them.
This book raises the topic of when children blame themselves for the problems of the parent. This story sees a little panda upset and thinking he is a bad boy to make his mummy so sad, but grandma carefully explains and supports him to understand that sometimes mummies need time to heal and simply be.
A book that both me and my 4-year-old daughter have enjoyed and has raised the difficult conversation with her over why mummy is sometimes sad. Thank you.