Not Today, Celeste!: A Dog's Tale about Her Human's Depression

by Liza Stevens

Pooky Knightsmith

Celeste thinks she is the happiest dog in the world. But when she notices something different about her human, Rupert, she wonders if things will ever be the same again.

Charmingly illustrated, this heart-warming story for children aged 3+ reflects some of the feelings and experiences that a child whose parent or carer has depression may face. When it comes to periods of low mood in a parent or carer, children can often feel that they are to blame, or even that the parent doesn't love them anymore. The story provides reassurance by explaining what depression is and how it is possible to find help. With a comprehensive guide for parents and professionals written by Dr Pooky Knightsmith that provides advice on discussing the topic with children, this is a truly valuable resource that will be of interest to social workers, child and school counsellors, psychologists, parents and foster parents.

• ISBN10: 1785920081
• ISBN13: 9781785920080
• Publish Date: 21 June 2016
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 7 January 2022
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 36
• Language: English

Reviews

[Joni Reads]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to read this book with my oldest daughter because her stepmother struggles with depression and I figured it might resonate with her a bit. I was definitely correct. It helped her open up with me about how it made her feel when the depression would creep up on her stepmom and helped us open a dialogue on different ideas on how to handle it.

I like the way this book described depression and the way that it made it in the point of view of the dog. It made the idea kind of fun to talk about and not so formal or educational which is very helpful for my daughter who, as soon as she realizes you are trying to teach her something, tends to shut down.

I think this is a book that is very needed in this day and age and I recommend it to anyone who knows children in an environment where they live with someone who has depression.