As a mental health advocate and teacher I, Karen Tyrrell would like to welcome Australian children’s author Sharon McGuinness to my blog today. Sharon launched Coming Home, her powerful picture book with an uplifting message on depression.
Coming Home delivers a hopeful story about Gemma who watches her dad as he sits alone in his tangled garden. She doesn’t understand why he seems so sad. Can she help her dad find his way home?
Shannon Melville symbolically illustrates the story using colour change techniques, transitioning the pictures from bleak grey depression to a colourful bright future.
One in five people will suffer a depressive illness in their lifetime. For those who suffer from depression, the illness also affects their families.
Coming Home will help children in particular to understand why a depressed parent may be sad and distant.
Coming Home will open up discussions with children on SAD feelings and moods.
Sharon launched Coming Home to coincide with Mental Health Week October 7-13. 
Target Audience: families, children, teachers, schools, counselors, depression organizations and support groups.
Author royalties will go to mental health organization, Black Dog Institute.
FREE Book Giveaway: Coming Home
On behalf of author, Sharon McGuinness, I’m giving away a FREE copy of the hard cover picture book, Coming Home … for Australian Residents only.
To qualify as an entrant, please LIKE Karen Tyrrell Author page.
Then in the comments box below, please explain why you’d like to win a FREE copy of Coming Home for you or for a friend. Maybe you’d like to donate it to your school library.
Winner will be announced here on the 14th October.
Please SHARE the good news about Coming Home with your friends.
I would like to win a copy of this book to help my kids understand more about depression as I was diagnosed with it again a couple of months ago. It’s hard to explain to them what’s going on and reassure them that it’s not their fault.
Thanks Melissa, you and your children will absolutely LOVE Coming Home. It gives a very clear hopeful message and explains depression in simple terms so children can understand. Good luck with your entry 🙂
Karen,
I hope that this book finds its way to the US soon. Depression is such an individual yet universal illness that can be triggered by so many different situations that it is incredibly difficult for kids to understand. My children’s elementary school now offers a Family Change support group for kids who have adults in their lives going through major changes like depression, divorce, loss, etc. As an artist I can also appreciate the visual clues of the illustrations that help children diversify their understanding on more than just the conscious level. Any tool that helps children deal with difficult subjects is a true treasure. Thank you Sharon and Shannon for this beautiful book.
My daughter is starting her extra credit childhood teaching early next year and will be working with young children from all backgrounds as a prelude to her becoming a primary school teacher. She starts her program in Feb 2013. This is one book that I think not only the schools should provide but also age appropriate daycare and after school care should also have available.
Depression is something everyone knows someone who has suffered from it, adults sometimes find it difficult to understand and children need all the help they can get to understand what is that is happening in the world around them to the people they care about and that they have played no part in it, its an illness like any other and there are cures and positive outcomes.
I will make sure all our local primary schools and local libraries are aware of this book and its benefits.
I would like to win it for my daughter so it can be used as an ongoing teaching resource for my daughter to share with her students 🙂 with direct supervision from the regular class teacher
Hi Ren,
Lovely to see you here. I totally agree with what you’re saying about powerful visual clues really bringing home difficult messages to children. PS Thanks for that awesome review of ME & HER over at Amazon 🙂
Hi Anne,
Thanks for entering on behalf of your teacher-in-training daughter. Coming Home will be a fabulous resource in any classroom.Thanks in advance for spreading the news to your local libraries 🙂
I would love to win a copy of this book because it is very important to keep your depression discussion positive with stories full of colour when talking to a child or teenage person. It doesn’t mean that you sugar-coat it. Depression is a serious illness that causes emotional and physical pain and it can have serious consequences. However, if you maintain a positive and hopeful outlook in your discussions, you will avoid unnecessarily alarming the child you are working with.
As a social worker student, I would love to have this resource, “Coming Home” which I would use and share with colleagues to help children understand the meaning of depression.
Thanks Ani,
for explaining how you would use Coming Home as a Counselor’s resource for families going through depression. Good luck with your entry:)
Hi Karen,
What a marvellous idea to have such an easy illustrated book to help young children understand and appreciate their parents love through the struggle of dealing with mental illness!
I love the fact that the book shares an uplifting message of hope and understanding to bridge the gap between an unwell parent and child. I also like the idea of how the book symbolically illustrates the story using colour change techniques,transitioning the pictures from bleak grey depression to a colourful bright future.
What a valuable tool this book “Coming Home” by Sharon McGuinness would be in helping so many families who are both confused and uneasy about talking about this delicate subject of Depression. I for one would certainly benefit from sharing it with others in our self-help and personal recovery group here on the Central Coast of NSW.
Thank you, Karen Tyrrell, Sharon McGuinness, Shannon Melville and Black Dog Institute for all your tireless and loving work in helping people with Mental Illness.
Kindest Regards,
Art Antonious
Many thanks everyone for the positive comments!
Anne, I am also a teacher librarian and sharing through my Australia wide network, so hopefully you will see the book in school libraries soon!
Ren, It would be terrific to be able to obtain the book in the US…you may be able to obtain via the Australian publisher http://www.wombatbooks.net/
Thanks Art,
for your fabulous support and understanding of Sharon’s book Coming Home. Thanks for explaining how you’d use this wonderful book in your self-help group. Good luck with your entry 🙂
Congratulations Sharon for your inspiring book on Recovery from depression. Thanks for dropping by with your supportive comments to those who are really keen to read your book. I wish you every success with your book launch 🙂
Hi I would like to win this book for my two daughters to read. Their father and I both have depression and my eldest daughter may also have depression and is in the process of seeing doctors and specialist. I struggle to explain to them about depression and I am hoping this book will help them understand. thankyou
[…] Book Giveaway: Coming Home: Children’s book on depression. […]
Hi Kathleen, Coming Home will be an ideal book for your and your faimliy to share together. Thanks for your entry … Karen 🙂
I am a psychologist who works primarily with children and adolescents. I’d love to win a copy to share with my clients. And if I don’t win, I now know of a great resource! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Hi Erin,
Fabulous to meet you here.
ME & HER: a Memoir Of Madness has been described by many as “inspiring”.
Please read my #22 5 Star Reviews and #20 pages for FREE here.
http://lnkd.in/BmuVR7 … What do you think ?… Thanks for you entry> Karen 🙂
This is an important topic of the type that has many publishers shy away. Congratulations on putting it out there – it is needed!
Already done! 🙂 You know I would treasure a copy of your book Karen!
It is honest to goodness writing about a very difficult topic and told in a ‘can’t put it down’ style!
Hi J, Thanks for supporting Coming Home. Its definitely a story that needs to be “heard” … Karen 🙂
Thanks J, for your awesome support and for spreading the news about ME & HER … Karen 🙂
Many thanks for the continued comments and entries….heartening to see people recognising a need for ‘Coming Home’. Thanks to the publisher for being brave enough to publish it!
Wombats Books is to be commended for publishing Coming Home.