As a fourth-year osteopathic medical student and host of his own podcast, “Talk Mental Health with Logan Noone,” PNWU student Doctor Logan Noone is already working to positively impact the future of mental healthcare in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Recently, he added another title to his growing list of activities: children’s book author.
Noone’s latest release, ”We ALL Have Something,” aims to help introduce mental health and coping mechanisms to children between the ages of five and twelve. Authored by Noone and illustrated by his mother, Rochelle Clementson, the book introduces readers to a boy named Logan, who has trouble with his feelings and emotions.
To learn more about the book, and what inspired the effort, we reached out to Noone, who is currently taking part in a hospice rotation at Cottage in the Meadow, a 20-bed, in-patient facility which provides hospice and respite care in Yakima, WA.
What inspired you to put this book together?
I am passionate about living openly about my mental illness, and feel the healthiest way to handle these conditions is to use your relationships with family and friends.
The book was based off three of my real friends, each of whom live with a chronic medical condition. I try to view my mental health condition as similar to their medical conditions. I always find myself asking, “why should a brain condition be viewed differently than other organs in the body?” We used these real friendships as characters in our children’s book.
Additionally, we were inspired by “Inside Out,” a children’s movie about mental health. My mother and I absolutely loved the movie, and decided to use it as inspiration.
How did your mother get involved?
My mother was an elementary art teacher for over twenty years, so of course she had the talent to illustrate the book! On top of that, we’ve often chatted about how the stressors on young students have increased greatly over time. Putting this together was important for both of us.
What do you hope to accomplish with the release?
We hope to normalize the experience of discussing mental health, and going to see a doctor when necessary.
We hope that this book helps teach children about concepts of mental health, meditation, and medical treatment. Additionally, we feel this children’s book can even help parents adjust their attitudes towards mental health conditions.
