A child touchingly narrates the ups and downs of living with a parent who experiences mental illness.
Sometimes Mom soars like a kite. Other times the kite turns into a sail, and she’s like a boat, bobbing along the waves, until water spills over the sides and she starts to sink. “I try to bail the water out,” the child says, “but my bucket is too small or has a hole in it.”
On a better day, Mom introduces the child to a “new friend” named Grace, a therapist. Grace explains that it’s not the child’s job to fix things. And Grace helps the child find coping strategies — talking, playing games and, especially, drawing as a creative outlet.
Gradually, the child begins to feel better when they’re at home with Mom, where there are plenty of crayons and the comfort of a beloved pet to cuddle.
But the child has one big question. At the end of the story, they ask if they will sink or soar when they grow up. And while no one knows for sure, the child believes Grace who suggests that they now have the tools to weather whatever storms might come.
Reviewed by a children’s psychiatrist for authenticity. Includes an author’s note and a list of resources and helplines for mental health.
Key Text Features
authors note
dialogue
illustrations
resources
vignettes
Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
Author: Lisl H. Detlefsen
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Groundwood Books
Published: 04/07/2026
Pages: 32
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 11.70h x 8.90w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9781773068534
Language: English
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