A lyrical, beautifully illustrated story in verse from the Nova Scotian author and artist who brought us Wildflower, The Book of Selkie, and While You Were Sleeping, exploring creative and mindful ways to live with mental illness.

I lose track of the hours
And sometimes the days

When anger takes over
When sadness just stays…

In this gentle verse story, children of diverse ages and backgrounds experience a range of emotions, from anger to depression to anxiety, “losing a day” to negative thoughts and feelings. Whether a child feels rage “buzzing like bees” or loses a day under the covers, wrapped in the “softest cocoon” of their bed, they will soon discover that losing a day doesn’t have to be a bad thing. You can lose a day listening to the calm and steady tapping of the rain, or by reading or writing a story, by running or playing music. By listening to your breath. By the end of this thoughtful book, readers and parents will learn about creative responses to the most common mental health challenges for young people.

With gorgeous gouache and watercolour illustrations, and backmatter featuring nature-based mindfulness activities and a heartfelt letter from the author, I Lost A Day beautifully demonstrates both the challenges and the creative solutions to living with mental illness.