A Flicker of Hope: A Picture Book About Depression and Asking for Help

Amazing book. My niece loved it and it’s very inspirational!

This book is so timely and it really tackles a big issue in a way kids can relate to and understand. I am an elementary school counselor and this book is going to be incredible for my students. Every kid, teen, and even adult could really benefit from this incredible story. The illustrations and story are truly amazing.

The author Julia Cook outdoes herself with this amazing book centering on heavy topics, in a child-friendly manner. As a school counselor and licensed therapist I would definitely use this cook in and out of schools. Although it has elementary type of illustrations, the book could still be used with adolescents and adults, as it is written metaphorically. The book touches upon concepts of mental health, resilience, and building hope in others. I highly recommend it!

I used the book, Flicker of Hope, to design a cross-curricular lesson between guidance and Language Arts. This worked out really well as it lead to thought provoking activities for our students. One student said, ““I like this book because it tells people they don’t have to hide their feelings and that it’s ok to ask for help. Overall it has an amazing message and it is a very good book. I think it will help people relate to the characters and figure out that it’s ok to feel sad sometimes and that you just need to keep asking people to help you and give you hope. I really think that this will help get more hope givers because that’s what the world really needs right now. I absolutely love this book!”The issues addressed in the book are real issues our students face daily. The book provides them an avenue to explore and realize that they are not alone and it is ok to ask for help.

The message of this book, to motivate, inspire, and reassure kids who are depressed, is a good one. The words are helpful. The use of candles to show how one person can share their flame and their hope with another is appropriate. Were I a counselor, I would use every tool possible to support kids who are down, and as a librarian, this is definitely a useful addition to the collection. But, I also think the illustrations could be much better. I understand wanting to show the difference between the feelings of a person who is down and depressed, and the use of simpler pictures and dark clouds to show a mood. And I very much liked the few pages where the color and pictures blaze up and make a strong, good contrast. But, most of the pages use pictures that are less than inspiring, the pages are too crowded with small candles and blurbs, and they don’t seem to be quite strong enough to move the story along. In a children’s book, particularly ages 5-8, the illustrations are vital, and most of the ones in this book are disappointing.

Great book about how NOT to lose hope. It is important to ask for help.

As an elementary school counselor, I am constantly updating my library with books that I can use with my students. Many, many, many of the books are by Julia Cook!So, when I heard she was coming out with a book on HOPE, I had to have it. I purchased this book, well before its release date, with the hopes that it would be amazing and it has not disappointed.There are so many negative messages in the world today. It is so difficult for not only children, but everyone, to persevere and find hope in a situation.Julia Cook uses a very appropriate candle methaphor and DRIVES home that you cannot lose hope, ever! It discusses very serious subject matter in a non threatening and age appropriate manner that will help kids learn without causing them to worry or be afraid.This is a great read and something I would highly recommend!

I'm so happy I added this book to my collection of Julia Cook books! Right away my students were connecting it to personal references and demonstrating how to share their unique "flicker of hope" with others. A truly needed book to help show children how to find hope and how to share hope with others. Thank you Julia for lifting our children up with your hope and helping teachers and parents in teaching them through your amazing books!