Sad Days, Glad Days: A Story About Depression

by Dewitt Hamilton

Amanda Martha's mother suffers from depression and, although the girl's father explains that it is not her job to make her mother happy, Amanda Martha thinks that a playful cat will help.

Genres: Picture Books, Mental Illness, Childrens

1 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1995

Reviews

[Jessie Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book to help explain the symptoms and ripple effects of having a mother with depression.

[Jasmine]

Definitely important to be on the market, but also painful.

[Marah · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone whose mother experienced depression, this book felt very accurate to me. The story is told from the perspective of Amanda Martha, who explains how her mother has sad days, glad days, and in-between days. The illustrators use of color follows the mother's mood. The pictures are very engaging and add to the reader's understanding of how Amanda Martha feels. Amanda Martha struggles with understanding her mother's depression, sometimes feeling like it's her fault or that she'd rather have another mother. Her father explains to her that those are normal feelings, which would help readers who might feel the same.

The book doesn't offer a clear "resolution" because that would not be realistic when speaking about mental illness. However, throughout the story, Amanda Martha does come to understand and accept her mother's illness a bit more.

[Arin Brutlag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amanda Martha tells the story of her mother’s depression, and how her mother has glad days, sad days, and in-between days. The symptoms and consequences of depression are explained from the perspective of a child. Throughout the book, color schemes are used to highlight the mother’s mood at the time, with yellows and oranges for glad days, pinks for in-between days, and blues and greys for sad days. The book portrays a positive, open relationship between a parent with depression and their concerned child.

Resources: There is an introduction to the book aimed at adults.