Perry Panda

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.

This was an excellent book and I haven't hesitated to give it five stars. It deals with the subject of parental depression and it handles the whole thing very, very well. The emphasis is on how it isn't the child's fault and they need to make sure their mum knows they love them to support them, it might take time but it will get better. Very well written and a must have for any children who have parents suffering from this to help them understand.

Little Perry Panda has the best mom in the whole wide world. They chat, read books together and laugh lots. Life couldn't be better. But lately he finds she snaps at him for no good reason and sometimes cries at night making him worried and wishing he could see her happy once again.

Her behaviour continues and finally Perry sees no other alternative but to blame himself for her sadness and emotional turmoil. Maybe he displayed bad behaviour and that makes her cross at him and very sad. Where can he go to seek help? He goes to his beloved Grandma Panda and asks...

"Can you tell me why?" What is the bad thing I've done that makes my mummy cry?"

Wise and loving Grandma puts her little grandson on her knee, gives him a big-old fluffy bear hug and tells him it's not his fault, never to blame himself. Perry asks her how they can help make his mummy feel better. Grandma responds that perhaps his mummy needs medication, someone to talk to, lots more sleep or long walks through the hills to get away from her worries, just to name a few examples. She cautions him that sometimes healing takes a long long time and his mummy can't rush her feelings.

Perry ponders on his Grandma's words. Everything could take a long time .... mmmmm.... then suddenly he lets out an excited yelp because he has a short term solution that might just help her get better even quicker. I wonder what he discovered in his heart that will help her recover quicker and be back to her fun self sooner if he applies what he found? Any ideas? Love conquers all.

This book talks about depression and how it affects the entire family not only the one going through it. Written in rhyme the story is simply told so wee readers will understand the message. The illustrations are vibrant, colourful and add heart to the meaning of the words. The story is moving with the mission of helping others who may be suffering if mummy is not her happy self but feeling and acting sad and depressed.

The author has added a link to impart more information on the
subject if further support is needed: www.perrypanda.com. at at the back. The book is well written and can easily be understood by a small child and is a perfect catalyst for discussion on this topic.

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.