In the Blue by Erin Hourigan

In the Blue gently explores what it is like for a child to experience the depression of a loved one.

In the Blue by Erin Hourigan. Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022. 40 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8

Recommended For: Ages 4-8

“My dad is as tall as the sky!

And I’m his teeny-tiny sunspot.”

A vivacious little girl introduces readers to her dad. As the cover and illustrations quickly show though, there is something wrong. Colors are used to explain the transformation as pages shift from a joyful array of colors to a limited palette.

“Right now things for my dad aren’t bright and yellow. They are deep, dark blue.”

Simple text and continued colors trace emotions. Anger and frustration seep red across several pages. But then, slowly, hope returns and with it, greater understanding.

In the Blue is a gentle, loving acknowledgement of what its like to be a child and love someone who is struggling with mental health. While some readers might take issue with a two-page spread of the little girl acting out, Hourigan is accurately portraying what second-hand trauma can do to a family. She captures the emotions of a child who doesn’t understand and just knows something is very wrong. I particularly love the way she portrays the mother in this family: tired, worn, and worried, hugging and cuddling her little girl. This is a lovely book and a wonderful, gentle way to help a young child understand the effects of depression on a loved one.

In the Blue won a Schneider Honor* for good reason. While it lovingly depicts a family, faith isn’t mentioned. Instead the little girl struggles with her father’s assertion that “together, we can do anything.” Still, the family’s solution of loving each other, waiting together “in the blue” and seeking counseling will resonate with Christian readers. Hourigan writes from her own experience, growing up with a father who suffered from clinical depression. With depression and mental health on the rise, In the Blue is an excellent book to gently introduce a young reader to the fact that sometimes people are “blue.”

*Award: Schneider Family Honor Book

The Schneider Family Book Awards are given annually by the American Library Association, for “books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience.”

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 5 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here.

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• A Review: *Tell God How You Feel by Christina Fox (Another picture book that handles emotions with gospel hope)
• A Round-up: 2022 Schneider Family Picture-Book Roundup
• A Resource: Finding Jesus on Upside Down Days (a family devotional)

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