The Very Best Me by Marin Canaday

A young girl faces day-to-day struggles with her OCD monster. Some days she is victorious, unbothered, and confident. Other days, it feels as if the monster is the one leading the way. It’s a one-on-one battle for control―or is it? With the support of those around her listening, encouraging, and reassuring, she gains the strength to continue facing her monster. The Very Best Me is a helpful tool for those with obsessive compulsive disorder. It sheds light on the type of support that would be helpful for those battling their own little―and sometimes big―OCD monsters.

Goodreads Synopsis

Overall Rating

5/5

As someone who has lived with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) tendencies for the majority of my life but wasn’t diagnosed until my 20s, I was ecstatic to come across a children’s book that addresses OCD. The book is written for children from the perspective of a child who lives with OCD. The beauty of this picture book is that Marin Canaday struggles with OCD herself, and largely portrayed the illness from her own perspective in a way that is accessible for young children.

While the illness was portrayed as a little monster that disrupts the child’s life, the story also portrayed how the child can live with the monster and focus on their strengths to manage the turmoil that the monster brings to their day-to-day life. The visuals were excellent in portraying how some days OCD symptoms are more severe than other days, while also providing insight on how parents and other loved ones can help support children with OCD.

I wish that I had had this book as a child. I think that it would have helped me to understand what I was going through, and I think that it will help many children and their families for generations to come. Canaday has created a truly spectacular tool for children living with OCD and their parents and caregivers, as well as mental health professionals and other professionals working with children who have this disorder. I cannot recommend it enough. I will definitely be using it in my mental health practice.