Illustrated by Alex Paterson Wren and Rook ISBN:9781562363152 £6.99
Self-help books abound, but their hectoring or ‘know-it-all’ tone can make many of them unappealing and even off-putting. This one, written by a clinical psychologist, avoids those pitfalls and succeeds in producing a very palatable and portable introduction to cognitive behaviour theory for young people. It tries to enable the reader to recognise their own moods, how they benefit from regularly eating a good diet and rest, how to manage their stress and worry, be grateful and positive and to be their own confident person. This is achieved using a wide variety of approaches: yoga exercises, breathing techniques, writing things down, talking to people, being creative and taming technology.
Throughout, the gentle tone and the direct address to the reader to think and reflect on how they feel when…is actually very readable. Cartoon images, numbering, bullet points, “10 tips to..”, “3 ways to..” all make the suggestions very easy to attempt and there is constant reassurance that not all of these ideas might suit or that the reader will or should feel great all the time. My only concern for readers aged 9+ is that there is a lot to read and process alone and it would take some self-discipline to read it all. Smallish print and the lack of colour might also be a barrier. There is much to be said for using it in small chunks with a class in PSHE, say, or to start each day and it could help create real resilience.
Sue Barrett
