Maria is angry and confused. Her mother is often noisy, tearful or frightening. Her friends sometimes laugh at them both. The Wise Mouse comes out in the night to tell Maria about the facts of mental illness in a way that is both straightforward and consoling. Mouse explains that it’s natural for children to feel ambivalent when they feel love is being withdrawn from them, and discusses the ways in which medicine and talk can both be helpful. The little fable is infused with gentle wisdom. It doesn’t suggest that cures are easy, but it offers reassurance. The Wise Mouse book costs pound;3.95 from YoungMinds, 102-8 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5SA.

Tel: 020 7336 8445 Email: enquiries@youngminds.org.uk www.youngminds.org.uk