Dark Cloud - by Anna Lazowski (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Abigail has a dark cloud. One day it appears and then it's always with her, taking different shapes. At school, it's a ball of worries following behind her. At ballet class, it's a fog that gets in the way of her grand jetées. At a birthday party, it's a shadow that takes away her appetite. How can Abigail find a way to step outside her dark cloud when it's always there? And then one day, she has a bright idea. Learning to live with and understand her dark cloud, along with some support from her father and a friend, helps Abigail find moments of sunshine again. In this evocative picture book, written with compassion and care, a little girl visualizes her depression as a way of learning to cope. The compelling visual narrative and lyrical text combine to give kids tools they can use to understand and express their own feelings of sadness and depression as well as empathize with others. A hopeful but realistic approach to a difficult topic."--

Book Synopsis

Written with compassion and care, a thoughtful story about a little girl who visualizes her depression as a way of learning to cope.

Abigail has a dark cloud. It follows her everywhere. It can be a ball of worries, a swirl of fog or a long shadow. But it's always with her, getting in the way of things. Her dark cloud makes the other children distant and messes with her grand jeté during ballet class. It even takes away her appetite for birthday cake. Then one day, Abigail begins to figure some things out about her dark cloud. Like how it's not always the same size. How she can trap it in a sandcastle at the beach. And how, sometimes, she can even step away from it and feel the sunshine on her skin.

In this sensitive picture book, symbolic imagery perfectly captures how depression can look and feel. Anna Lazowski's lyrical text together with Penny Neville-Lee's expressive drawings provide young children with a way to understand and talk about their own feelings. The repetition in the text and the visual narrative pull readers in, making this an excellent read-aloud pick to spark discussions about feelings. Neville-Lee's art uses soft, muted colors, with lightness and color gradually added as Abigail moves from feeling overwhelmed by her depression to learning how to live with it and even find relief from it. Reviewed by a child psychologist, this book is a great choice for teaching social-emotional learning, critical thinking and character education lessons on perseverance and resilience.

Review Quotes

Perfect for SEL shelves and curriculum, this sensitive picture book is highly recommended for caregivers and educators working with young children.--School Library Journal

Powerful ... Impactful --- definitely one of the best we've read in the last few months.--Colby Sharp

This book is a perfect addition to any school or home library to engage children in speaking up about their mental health ... This thoughtfully illustrated story sensitively highlights the highs and the lows a little one may experience in life, offering a bright and colorful ending!--Children's Literature

... an empathetic and quietly profound portrait of a child's emotional struggles--Kirkus Reviews

Recognizing and understanding depression can be hard, and Lazowski and Neville-Lee don't shy away from the challenge, giving the readers an important toolset they will be able to use for life.--CM Magazine

About the Author

Anna Lazowski wrote her first picture book for a class assignment in the sixth grade and has been creating stories ever since. Now she is an award-winning radio producer and writer, whose journalistic work has been published in various newspapers and magazines, and she is the author of several picture books. She lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with her husband, kids and dogs.
Penny Neville-Lee spent her earliest years drawing and making before studying for an MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art. She is happiest when surrounded by pencils, chatting to her two children and coming up with ideas for beautiful books. She lives with her family in Manchester, United Kingdom.