Det regnar på pappa is a picture book for children aged 3–6, telling the story of a young girl whose father is living with depression. Children can be negatively impacted by their parents’ mental illness, experiencing feelings of worry or guilt. To reduce this risk, it's important to openly talk about the mental illness. Picture books can represent a helping hand in starting these conversations. Using stories and illustrations, picture books can support children in understanding complex topics, while also serving as a therapeutic tool for those going through similar situations. For instance, children can find comfort and feel less lonely by identifying with characters.
In creating this book, I explored how graphic design can be used as a narrative tool for creating stories, combining both illustration and text. Told from the child’s perspective, the book uses a raincloud as a metaphor to for the father’s depression, while also offering a sense of hope.
