A Shelter for Sadness: A Timely Exploration of Mental Health for Young Readers

A Shelter for Sadness
by Anne Booth
illustrated by David Litchfield

A young boy is building a shelter for his sadness. The shelter will have light from the sun or curtains to draw. The shelter is strong enough to weather any winter storm and surrounded by a beautiful garden in the spring filled with sweet-smelling blooms. The boy can visit his sadness whenever he needs to, and the two of them can sit, cry, lie down, curl up very small, run around, and everything in between. It doesn’t matter if the boy can’t visit his sadness for a while. He knows his sadness is safe inside the shelter, patiently waiting for the boy’s return.

In this poignant, timely consideration of sadness and mental health, author Anne Booth offers a beautiful depiction of how kids (and readers of all ages) must care for their emotions and give attention to their grief on a regular basis. Illustrator David Litchfield’s stunning art brings the beautiful concept to life with a manifestation of sadness that the young boy protagonist interacts with throughout the story. A child-friendly approach to mental health for young readers, explore the many faces of sadness and the importance taking care of each and every emotion with little ones learning to take care of their mental health.

Read an excerpt, and get a peek at David Litchfield’s beautiful illustrations below.

“[A] sparkling, hushed story about making spaces for less glamorous feelings, too. . . .”—Foreword Reviews