Book of the Month December 2021 - Michael Rosen's Sad Book

Michael Rosen’s Sad Book - illustrated by Quentin Blake
 
Reading the first page of this wonderful and tragic book, I felt as though I had taken a punch to the gut.

​Below a grinning portrait of author Michael Rosen reads the words, ‘This is me being sad.’ I read this book for the first time whilst on sick leave with anxiety and depression. After months of plodding on and ‘putting on a face’, these words resonated.

Reading on, there is a rawness to the writing; understandable as driving the subject matter is the death of the author’s son, Eddie, from meningitis. This is not the Michael Rosen of ‘Bear Hunt’ fame and not at all what I expected, but it is awesome and terrible all at once. The book speaks simply and truthfully about the maelstrom of emotions that come with bereavement. Rosen’s language is accessible to kids without being patronising to adults.

Quentin Blake’s illustrations lean towards a slightly older audience than my children (2 and 5) and my youngest was a little disturbed by the haunting, monochromatic portrait depicting ‘What makes me most sad’. However, they really do bring the text to life and would make excellent prompts for a discussion on recognising emotions or the different forms sadness can take.

​This book should have a place in almost every home or classroom. In a one-to-one setting it could support children dealing with grief, loss or confusing emotions; in a classroom or other group setting, it could help introduce and build on emotional intelligence. And for adults, it serves as a reminder that ‘sad’ can encompass so many different thoughts and feelings; and that it’s ok to feel them.

​Jocelyn Skaaning