What if depression had a name?
What if you could look it in the face, describe how it moves, how it feels, and realize that depression is not you?
"If My Depression Had a Name" is an illustrated poem for young readers that helps children see depression as something they can name and understand. Through honest, gentle storytelling and vivid illustrations, this book gives children the words they never had. Words that feel true. Words that help. Words that make a child feel a little less alone in what they are carrying.
Depression in children does not always look the way we expect. It can look like silence. It can look like stillness. It can look like a heaviness that is hard to explain. In children of color and especially Black boys, it is often invisible. Overlooked. Misunderstood. Seen as a behavioral issue, rather than a mental health concern. This book was written to change that. It gives that feeling a name and invites children to sit with their emotions without shame. It tells them that what they feel is real, and that they are not alone in feeling it.
Written by Jennifer C. Williams, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Perinatal Mental Health Specialist with years of experience helping children and families navigate life's hardest moments, this book does what most children's mental health books do not. It speaks directly to the child, not around them. It does not talk down. It does not sugarcoat. It simply tells the truth in a way a child can hold.
Illustrated by Phillip "Maikeru" Ross, whose vivid artwork brings every emotion to the page, this book is as beautiful to look at as it is powerful to read. Every illustration was created to help children feel seen in a way that words alone sometimes cannot.
This book is for the child who goes quiet when things get hard. It is for the parent who does not know what to say. It is for the teacher who notices something is off but cannot find the words. It is for the school counselors and therapists who are looking for a resource that actually resonates. It is for every adult who wishes someone had handed them a book like this when they were a child.
Perfect for classroom read-alouds, therapy waiting rooms, school counselor offices, pediatric waiting rooms, and home bookshelves. "If My Depression Had a Name" opens the door to conversations about mental health with warmth, honesty, and care. Because every child deserves a book that makes them feel seen.
About the Author :
Jennifer C. Williams, LCPC, PMH-C is a licensed therapist, certified perinatal mental health specialist, and parental leave coach based in the Washington, D.C. area. She is the founder of Pass Go! Therapy and Coaching, a virtual therapy and consulting practice. She is also the founder of SONshines and Playtime, a family lifestyle and parenting brand dedicated to raising emotionally healthy kids, and Playtime Kids, a children's publishing imprint committed to giving children the words for the feelings they carry. Jennifer's clinical work focuses on high-achieving individuals, couples, and new parents navigating life's hardest transitions. She is a Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women, Black in Business alumna and a sought-after speaker and contributor on perinatal mental health, couples wellness, child and adolescent development, and emotional literacy for children.She believes every child deserves a book that makes them feel seen. "If My Depression Had a Name," illustrated by Phillip "Maikeru" Ross, is her debut children's book and the first title from Playtime Kids.For more information on raising kids who CARE go to sonshinesandplaytime.com. For more on therapy or consulting for parents, couples, and professionals go to passgolife.com Phillip Michael Ross, also known creatively as Maikeru, is a Richmond, Virginia-based multidisciplinary illustrator, designer, and art director with over a decade of experience in visual storytelling. His work blends emotion, atmosphere, culture, and character-driven imagery across editorial design, illustration, branding, and publishing. As an artist, Maikeru focuses on creating visuals that feel human, expressive, and intentional-using color, composition, and body language to tell stories that connect with real people. As the illustrator of If My Depression Had a Name, Maikeru brings care, cultural sensitivity, and emotional honesty to a story created to help young readers feel seen, understood, and less alone.As a father, Maikeru approaches stories for children with a deeper sense of responsibility, empathy, and care. His creative work often centers on identity, emotion, and the quiet moments people do not always know how to explain out loud. Whether he is designing a visual system, illustrating a character, or building a full narrative world, his goal is to create work that feels honest, grounded, and meaningful-especially for young readers who deserve to recognize themselves in the stories they hold.
