Innovative picture book helps children understand mental health issues

A graduate of Abertay University’s Computer Arts degree, Deborah Malcolm, has published a new book which aims to facilitate discussion about depression with children from a young age.

Deborah was inspired to create ‘Meh’, is a wordless picture book about depression, by hearing award-winning novelist Neil Gaiman speak about moving away from conventional stories.

Having personal experience with the illness, she wanted to help others with imagery so others may understand it better. When she saw the lack of picture books addressing this potentially debilitating illness, she was even more set on completing Meh.

Deborah says: “Mental illness is a difficult subject to talk about, and can be complex for a sufferer to describe.

“Meh was designed to be completely wordless so that the reader can come to their own conclusion of what they think depression is. It is different for everyone.

“It is also a tool for parents, guardians and teachers to use to teach children about mental health.

“I hope it will engage them in discussion about mental illnesses so that they might have a better chance of tackling them in the future and reduce the stigma surrounding it.”

During research into children’s picture book illustrations for her final project at Abertay University, Deborah discovered the Norwegian book Haret til Mamma by Gro Dahle and Svein Nyhus, where depression is illustrated metaphorically.

This sparked her curiosity to explore depression through illustration, using metaphors and ideas to express the illness visually, like sinking into a black hole or being chased by darkness. These images were developed into a narrative to create the final picture book.