Not today, Celeste!

A dog's tale about her human's depression.

by Liza Stevens

age range: 4-5 years old and up

Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Celeste has everything a dog could want: a warm bed, food, water, toys, and Rupert, who gives her lots of love and playtime. Rupert is the best. But one day Celeste notices there is "something different" about Rupert. He looks sad and tired; he doesn't eat and nearly forgets to feed Celeste; he doesn't want to play or walk her. Celeste is worried about him. Would this "something different" ever go away? Does Rupert still love her?

Lily, Rupert's neighbor, who notices something is wrong with Celeste, decides to visit and see what is going on. Lily explains to Celeste the "something wrong" is called depression, and there are people who can help Rupert. She assures Celeste this is not her fault, and that Rupert still loves her. It feels good to hear that. After some time Rupert starts feeling better, and life comes slowly back to normal. Celeste hopes the depression doesn't come back, but she knows that if it happens, she and Rupert will know what to do.

The goal of this story is to explain to kids what depression is, and to give them tools to deal with it. It's written in a way which encourage questions, and gives opportunities for kids to express how they feel and what they think. The text is easy to understand, with pretty illustrations.

It also counts with a guide for adults by Dr. Pooky Knightsmith with tips on how to address the topic with kids, how take the best advantage of this resource, and some "key messages" that should be reinforced when speaking about depression.

I really liked this book, and highly recommend it!

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.