Pretend Friends: A story about psychosis
No. of pages 36
Published: 2015
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This book has been graded for interest at 4-9 years.
There are 36 pages in this book.
This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+).
This book was published in 2015 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers .
Alice Hoyle works as an Associate Advisory Teacher of Personal, Social, Health & Economic (PSHE) Education for the PSHE Association. Her experience of teaching about mental health made her aware of the lack of resources for younger children around serious mental illness. She wrote this book to support children to develop their understanding about mental health, to help increase empathy and reduce stigma and discrimination people with serious mental illness often face. As an active member of Rethink Mental Illness, Alice is donating her royalties from this book to help raise money and awareness for the work of the charity. Alice lives in Bath, UK with her husband, two daughters and a plethora of pretend friends including Elfie, Li-Li, Ariella and Micub. Lauren Reis has created illustrations for SANE Mental Health, OCD-UK, Anxiety UK, the Big Life group and has developed the illustrations on this book for Rethink. Lauren also promotes the work of charities through her business Tear Up The Plans and runs creative 'Workshops for Well-Being' for organisations, including MENCAP. Lauren has managed emetophobia and fully supports mental health in the work she does on a daily basis.
As an adult living with schizophrenia, I love the idea of introducing young children to the concept of severe mental illnesses, to help them learn not to be afraid of adults living with one. Hopefully if children can learn about mental health at a young age, they will grow up into understanding adults, less likely to have stigmatising beliefs about mental illness. -- Katy Gray
This excellent picture book explains to young children the differences in having a jolly play-like character that they know is not real and having to put up with pretend people who are equally not real but seem so to those who suffer from them. Aimed at children who have contact in their live with people suffering from schizophrenia or psychosis or other forms of serious mental illness... An unusual story about a serious problem not often explained to younger children and hence a most welcome addition to the literature. -- Healthy Books blog
This is a charming little book that could help children whose parents or carers have mental health problems... What I really liked about the book was that it promoted a healthy and non-judgmental view about mental health for children to adopt... The illustrations by Lauren Reis are rich, colourful and beautiful and enhance this lovely book... so attractive and the subject is compelling to mental health professionals. -- Jo North, Psychotherapist * BACP Children & Young People *