This is definitely not a sad book. It’s not even an arduous book to read but by golly, it is a book that unashamedly tackles some of the heftiest emotions that a young person, indeed anyone, has to face. Grief, loss, depression, anxiety, uncertainty. Big hard-to-deal-with feels that demand big help. This Is Not A Sad Book is that help. In short, it’s a lighthouse of hope, explanation and tactics to apply when one finds oneself or someone they know, in a dark, scary, perilous place. One of the key defining factors of this empowering book, and there are many, is the acknowledgment that change is the main constant in our fragile human lives and, it’s not always pleasant to deal with. The realisation that loss will be experienced by every single one of us is suggested with a firm but earnest hand. There is just no escaping life. It’s how we handle the subsequent aftermath of hard times that determines our recovery and future endurance. Loss and the associated grief one experiences is not easy to define and is sometimes even more abstruse to recognise. It might be the physical departure of a loved one, a pet, a change of normality, the absence of a sense of self or surrender of expectation that creates a deep and visceral aching or emotional abyss. Whatever it is, this book ensures you that you are not alone. That it’s OK to feel what you’re feeling and with guidance and patience, one day, you will feel better. Author, artist, teacher and current KBR reviewer, Elizabeth Vercoe penned this original CBCA Honour book ten years ago with co-author, Kerry Abramowski. Together they curated a collection or bag as it were of ‘tricks’; clever, simple and easily actionable snippets of advice that gently massage bruised spirits, reel back lost souls and provide much needed focus and light in times of dire need. This new edition, delightfully enhanced by Grace Fraraccio’s delicate line drawings, embraces the multitude of social and emotionally complex issues our younger generations are currently navigating. Presented in a powerful immediate yet blessedly gentle voice, Vercoe directs us through the ambiguities of grief and all its uglies. Anecdotal examples sprinkled thoughtfully throughout provide gravity and real-life conclusions. Candor marches considerately alongside empathy ensuring a balanced mix of audience appropriate understanding and support. The result is far more far-reaching. In fact, I have already given a copy to someone in need, because the effects of grief and hopelessness often have a disconcerting ripple effect on those around someone who is suffering emotionally. It will not be the last copy I pass on, either. Not all the tricks in this self-helping bag will find immediate relevance but the beauty of this conversational, non-judgy guide is that it is there when required, with strategies and ideas to be extracted when the time is right. When support is needed. I can’t recommend this tender-hearted beckon of tutelage highly enough. Whether it is you, your child or someone close to you who has lost their shine, please incorporate This Is Not A Sad Book into your self-help, feel-better library because … it really is OK to feel sad. For your chance to win a copy of this touching guide to grief, loss and getting through hard times, enter our exclusive KBR Giveaway, now. Competition closes Saturday 14 September. Title: This Is Not A Sad Book (but it’s OK to feel sad) Author: Elizabeth Vercoe with Kerry Abramowski Illustrator: Grace Fraraccio Publisher: Affirm Press, $24.99 Publication Date: 27 August 2024 Format: Paperback ISBN: 9781922930019 For ages: 9 – 99 Type: Non-fiction
