SEPARATION AND DIVORCE

EVERYTHING CHANGES (Clare Helen Welsh, Åsa Gilland)

Laughing and playing together as a family on the beach, it seems the happy, warm days of summer will never end. Then, everything changes. Mummy and daddy say they can’t live together anymore, and sad, worried feelings begin to emerge – It’s not fair! Was it all my fault?  But, as time passes and the seasons change, it becomes clearer that hard times won’t always be quite so hard . . .

Everything Changes (Little Tiger Press, 2022) lyrical book about the difficult emotions a child can feel when their parents break up, with an optimistic message of hope and resilience. Gorgeous illustrations and an emotive colour palette perfectly capture the nuances of emotion felt by both the child and parents during a separation.

7Stories said: “It is brilliant to see more books that tackle merged families, divorce and the variety in the ways familial love manifests, but I haven't seen one so elegantly and universally handled as Everything Changes. Using the cyclicality of seasons to explore a shifting of emotions, this book helps little ones appreciate that the only constant is change, and why there's value to be found in that."

MY BIG FANTASTIC FAMILY (Adam and Charlotte Guillain, Ali Pye)

From the very first page we know from the outset that the main character, Lily-May, lives with Mum, not Dad. Lily-May's story is set post-parental split and she recounts some of the changes and difficulties there have been. But there are plenty of advantages too! Like more play time and more of everyone. Now Lily-May has extra grandparents and more siblings. It isn't always plain sailing, but in My Big Fantastic Family (Nosy Crow, 2022) the reader follows the main character through the ups and downs of what it can look like when parents separate... and grow!

This is a colourful and accessible look at parental separation with a focus on a fun and hopeful future, and on what families can look like further down the line. A great book for those whose who are soon to be introduced to new partners and kin.

Bright illustrations from Ali Pye and a clear and positive message from Adam and Charlotte Guillian.

REMIXED (Aree Chung)

In Mixed City, colours mix when they fall in love. Things are bright and joyful at the beginning of the story, but families change. All sorts of worries go through the characters’ heads as the characters experience loss and separation: Am I good enough? Did I make a mistake? Will they get along? Will he like me? But Remixed (Macmillan, 2022) reaffirms to the reader that with open minds and hearts, love grows.

The message of this picture book – that families don’t always stay the same, they remix, blending past and present – is perfectly executed through the use of colour, and is accessible to very young children. Fun and bright illustrations give this a pitch perfect, light-hearted feel, great for readers with newly blended families. Indeed, this would be an especially good read for a child meeting new members of their family for the first time because whilst change isn't easy, things usually turn out ok, and sometimes much better than before.

FRED STAYS WITH ME (Nancy Coffelt, Tricia Tusa)

Fred Stays With Me (Little, Brown Young Readers) is a picture book told in first person point of view about a character who sometimes live with Mum and sometimes lives with Dad. The experiences at each parent’s house are shown largely through the eyes of Fred, the dog and how he behaves. At Mum’s, he barks at next door's poodle. At Dad’s, he steals the socks! Neither parent wants Fred to stay with them, but the main character helps to solve the dispute by declaring to her parents that Fred doesn’t live with either of them. Fred stays with her. 

What’s nice about this is the sorry is the symbiotic relationship between the girl and Fred. When one is happy, they both are. When one is sad, they are there for each other. Whilst a separation can feel like a loss of control, this story empowers readers and shows them how, in this case, strength is found in the consistency of the family pet.

EMILYS BLUE PERIOD (Cathleen Daly, Lisa Brown)

Emily’s Blue Period (First Second, 2014) is a picture book about a girl who seeks solace in art as she deals with her parent's separation. Emily is learning about Pablo Picasso at school, when she suddenly finds herself out of sorts. Mum and Dad are not living together, Emily’s brother Jack is playing up and everything feels wrong. Emily decides she cannot complete her art project because she is feeling sad and in her blue period, just like Picasso.

The story, which is split into six short 'chapters,' provides an honest portrayal of parental separation and the main character's complex and conflicting emotions. Emily eventually discovers the source of her blue period - she doesn’t know whether Mum’s house or Dad’s house is her home.  Her teacher suggests making a collage combining all the things that are important to her in one piece, “taking things from different places to make a whole.”

The references to Picasso and Cubism and the emotional complexity of the main character's arc, means this is an especially helpful read for older children.

MUM AND DAD GLUE (Kes Gray, Lee Wildish)
Told in a soothing rhyme, Mum and Dad Glue (Hodder, 2010) follows the main character as he navigates the worries that occur to him when his parents separate. The little boy searches for a glue to hold his family together, but he eventually realises there is no glue for parents and that's ok, because despite his parents' break up, their love for him will always remain. The boy is encouraged to be strong and look past the hurt into the future, making this book more suited to families with an acrimonious breakup.

MABEL’S TOPSY-TURVY HOMES (Candy Wellins, Jess Rose)

Mabel’s Topsy-Turvy Homes (Beaming Books, 2023) highlights the situation that many children find themselves in after a parental separation. Mabel has two houses – one with her Dad and one with her Mum. It can be very confusing at times as the layouts are very different and so are the house rules. In one house she helps to cook, in the other she eats takeaways. In one house she has bubble baths, she showers in the other. In one house jumping on the bed isn’t allowed but it’s fun to do in the other! The story highlights Mabel’s parents’ very different lifestyles. Mabel really wants to scream but doesn’t want to upset Izzy the iguana, the class pet that she’s looking after for the weekend. When Mabel reads Izzy’s diary with all of the adventures that she has had with different classmates, she starts to realise that there may also be advantages to having two very different homes.

Mabel has no siblings to share her feelings with. She experiences a range of emotions as she comes to terms with what appears to be a new situation for the family. Mabel is very much at the centre of the story and with the help of her adorable sidekick, Izzy, she is able to work through her emotions and start to feel more settled and optimistic – she has two bedrooms to decorate, her diverse background means that she celebrates several different holidays and she can also have double the fun!

The illustrations are vibrant and colourful and many of the double spreads compare Mabel’s experiences in her two homes. Jess Rose captures Mabel’s expressions perfectly and Izzy is a great character.

Mabel’s Topsy-Turvy Homes is a heart-warming, hopeful story that will stimulate family conversations around living in separate houses and will provide support and reassurance to children who may be in the same situation as Mabel.

(Reviewed by Catherine Freiss of Story Snug)

LUNA LOVES LIBRARY DAY (Joseph Coelho, Fiona Lumbers)

In Luna Loves Library Day (Andersen, 2017), it’s not only books that are celebrated, but libraries and families too! Luna meets her dad at the library and gathers a whole collection of varied books – from history to mystery to magical fairy tales. Enchanting, warm illustrations make this a comforting read, reminding readers young and old how special libraries can be. Libraries offer a range of stories to be discovered – and shared.

In this book there’s a subtle substory with Luna and her father, allowing readers to discuss different family dynamics if they wish. Luna Loves Library Day shows the power and connection books can bring to families and community.

(Reviewed by Laura Baker, the author of All The Wonderful Ways To Read)

TWO PLACES TO CALL HOME (Phil Earle)

Florrie has two of everything.

Two lovely brothers . . .
Two smashing parents . . .
Two very cuddled pets.
But two isn't always a magic number.

In Two Places To Call Home (Ladybird, 2023) Florrie has to live in two different houses: one with her mum, and one with her dad. The story follows her as she navigates the ups and downs of living in two places after her parents have separated. It positively and sensitively shows her embracing her new situation. With some exciting fantasy scenes, alongside real life suggestions that might help readers too, Florrie grows in confidence and finds ways of connecting to each parent whilst at the other’s house.

Warmly illustrated and sensitively written, this is a story to help those find calm, heart and strength in what can be an unsettling and difficult time.

RORY’S ROOM OF RECTANGLES (Ian Eagleton, Jessica Knight)

When Rory is tasked with making a Father’s Day card, he wonders what his dad does when he isn’t with him. Since his parents’ separation, Rory misses spending time with Dad; playing in the park and eating hot chips. Tony, Mum’s boyfriend, sees Rory is upset and takes him to the city art gallery. There they find a room of rectangles that reflects how Rory feels - happy, sad, scared, worried all at the same time.

Rory learns that he doesn't have to feel torn about spending time with Tony or be worried about Dad when they’re not together. However, all of his feelings are valid and beautiful, like a painting bursting with colour.

Rory’s Room of Rectangles (Owlet Press, 2023) is a warm and gentle story that celebrates blended families. The art Rory sees in the gallery is an effective representation of his conflicting feelings as he settles into a new way of life, but the overriding feeling at the end of the book is love.