A CHILDREN’S mental health book which teaches kids how to understand their thoughts and feelings has come to

Ayr.

Lucy’s Blue Day tells the story of a girl whose hair magically changes colour depending on her mood.

She then wakes up with blue hair one day and doesn’t know why, with the book exploring the theme of having a “blue day”

Author and dad of three, Chris Duke has told how what started as a poem for his eldest when she was feeling down has had an “unbelievable” reaction.

Now thanks to local mental health group Minds over Matter, the book is available to Ayr parents.

Chris told the Advertiser how he hopes the book can normalise mental health for both parents and children. He said: “When my oldest kid was having a bit of a down day a couple of years ago. I wrote her a wee poem. I wanted to do something to help her. “My wife suggested that we get it illustrated and turned into a children’s book. I only ever wrote this book for an audience of one, just for my little girl. “The way it has been received has been unbelievable. “

"It’s about a little girl with magical power changing hair, her hair will change depending on her mood. “

"One day she wakes up and her hair is blue, and she doesn’t understand why.

“She finds out she is not the only person in the world that has blue hair, she realises that other people have it as well. She is not alone and it’s okay to have all these feelings. It’s okay to have a blue day.”

Chris has also been taking Lucy’s Blue Day on a tour of schools, with the bulk of his visits spent going around Ayrshire.

Chris added: “It’s amazing the kids really take it on board, I talk about the four emotions that Lucy feels, and ask the kids to come with scenarios where they might feel this kind of things, we talk about the feelings and ask if they are okay.

“I then get them to make a promise, that they will talk about their feelings.”