Book Description:
A little boy named Coy loved drinking tea,but one day, his tea was not ready. It was not on the table like how it always was. So he decided to wait, and wait, and wait. When he could not wait any longer, he tried many other things to keep himself busy, but poor Coy faced so many challenges along the way. His day was nt going well, and he wondered what he could do to make it better. What will Coy do next?
General Thoughts:
The first thing I wondered about this book was “Who’s Mr.D?” and the answer I discovered was unexpected. I never thought a 32 paged children’s book could bring me close to tears. Written in playful rhymes paired with charming illustrations the author was able to tackle important topics about mental health, specifically Depression, and the importance of having a good support system to help cope with the battles we fight in our heads.
I think it’s a good way to expose children to mental health whether because they themselves are experiencing symptoms or to simply let them know that there are people with Depression, giving them insight on how others may be feeling and how they can help.
The book is filled with symbolisms that can be conversation starters. If I were to critique anything it’s the length of the book. I wish it was a bit longer and spent a bit more time to flesh out some scenes, with that in mind I am giving this book a 4 out of 5 star rating. If you’re a parent or a teacher this is a great book to pick up and discuss with children.
In summary:
Pros:
- Easy to digest prose
- Cute illustrations
- Discussion of mental health
(Personal) cons:
- The length of the book
More in-depth thoughts:
What I liked:
Mental Health Discussion
As I said this was a nice surprise to me as I hardly see children’s books talk about heavy subjects. There’s this pervasive notion that children shouldn’t be exposed to these kinds of topics to preserve their innocence or that children can’t understand such topics but I beg to differ. I believe kids have the biggest capacity to absorb information and concepts. It is also an essential time to expose them to different things so they can have a broader understanding of the world and they can do that, ideally, while being in a safe environment through the home or at school.
There is also the possibility that a child might relate to Coy and his feelings. If so this book can be a good conversation starter or a way to build good support systems either with other children or key adults in the child’s life. I think stories like this can help destigmatize mental health and make it a safer topic to discus in general.
What I did not like:
The Pacing
I wanted this book to be a little bit longer. It really would have benefitted to have some additional scenes to establish the different parts of the story. That way we, as the reader, could further empathize with Coy and his struggles.
Niibookreader 