This evocative and wise picture book, written by a psychology professor from India, is for children struggling to cope with the medical treatment of a parent. We first see Ani from above, in a bedroom filled with toys and light, but Ani himself is engulfed by a dark cloud because his mother isn't home. As he moves through the following day, the darkness blocks out the surrounding merriment of the other kids. Prabhat paints vibrant scenes, swirling with bright colors and activity, in which Ani's cloud hovers around him, a clear metaphor for depression, as is the black, serpentine tunnel that surrounds his path home from school. Near book's end, when Ani's gravely ill looking mother returns from the hospital, light envelopes them both, and her advice to him is both realistic and inspiring. A concluding "note to parents and caregivers" gives tips on how to handle children's fears and depression, starting with "honesty matters."

Singh and Prabhat combine forces for an unflinchingly honest yet soothing book about a child and his mother's illness.Ani's mother isn't home, and he is stuck in the dark: "It's dark. Still dark," he says, even when morning comes and the sun peeps in through his window. His nani (maternal grandmother) offers him ice cream, but he says nothing. At school, "everything had lost its color." He rebuffs his friends, seeking solace with his dog, Dobby. When his mother finally does come home, her hair is gone, but "nothing was dark anymore!" and the colors return to the world. Ani relays his fears to his mother-that she might never come back-and she reassures him: "As long as you let others love you…you will be okay." Ani isn't sure: "Even if you aren't there?" he asks. "Yes," she says. Singh, a professor of psychology, includes an author's note that stresses the importance of honesty in the face of difficult situations, from illness to divorce to death. Prabhat's illustrations set the story in India and deftly capture Ani's darkness and lightness with both perspective and palette. Bird's-eye views of Ani from directly overhead emphasize his powerlessness while a cloud of darkness that surrounds him effectively captures his unhappiness; a two-page spread detailing Ani's despair is particularly powerful.A hopeful, sadly necessary resource for children coping with a caregiver under medical treatment. (Picture book. 4-8)