About Beyond the Blue Forest - A Children's Book About Grief and Emotional Wellbeing

The idea for Beyond the Blue Forest and its companion activity book grew in Ildiko’s heart nearly eight years before their release in 2025. Her journey began much earlier, in 2005, after the tragic death of her sons’ father. This profound loss created a deep personal need for tools to help children and caregivers navigate grief. At that time, support and resources for families facing bereavement were scarce.

Over the years, Ildiko learned, mostly through experience, how to support her own children in living a full life alongside their grief. Later, her studies in children’s mental health and mindfulness reignited her passion for creating resources to help other families. With the guidance of a pedagogical psychologist, Beyond the Blue Forest became a story not only for her own family but for a wider audience of children, parents, and educators.

Ildiko Hankoszky is a freelance illustrator, widow, mother of two boys, and grandmother living in Wiltshire, United Kingdom.

Drawing and creating have been lifelong passions for Ildiko. She began as a wood sculptor and conservation assistant, later working as a cartoon animator and graphic designer. These roles taught her patience, precision, and attention to detail - qualities that shine in her illustrations.

During the COVID lockdown, Ildiko combined her artistic skills with her studies of children’s mental health to create her first picture book as both author and illustrator. Her lifelong interest in psychology, art, and storytelling shaped Beyond the Blue Forest, making it a gentle and creative resource for supporting children through grief and change.

Art, Illustration, and Mental Health Expertise

Grief is a complex emotional response to loss, and in children, it can look very different depending on age, developmental stage, and temperament.

From a neuroscience perspective:

• The prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and anterior cingulate cortex help process emotions, memory, and decision-making.

• Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine affect mood and reward processing.

• The stress response system (HPA axis and cortisol) can become dysregulated, impacting sleep, appetite, and energy.

How Grief Appears in Children

• Young children may show increased clinginess, regression, or acting out.

• Older children and adolescents may experience sadness, anger, withdrawal, or difficulty concentrating.

• Hormonal changes influence emotions, making feelings of hopelessness, anger, or self-blame more intense.

Beyond the Blue Forest introduces these concepts in a child-friendly way through simple illustrations and storytelling. While it does not provide full scientific detail, it gives children and caregivers a framework to understand the mind-body connection in grief and emotions.

Parents, teachers, and mental health professionals can use the book to:

• Support children experiencing loss

• Encourage emotional expression through art, play, or conversation

• Provide a gentle guide to resilience, empathy, and problem-solving

Neuroscience of Grief in Children

Join Anton and Carey on Their Journey

Follow Anton and Carey through the enchanting Blue Forest as they navigate feelings of sadness, fear, and anger. Through friendship, creativity, and discovery, children gain tools to understand their emotions and find hope and healing.

Beyond the Blue Forest offers a magical, supportive story that empowers children while providing parents and caregivers with guidance and reassurance during difficult times.

Articles

Developmental Manifestations of Grief in Children and Adolescents:

How grieving changes the brain:

Functional Neuroanatomy of Grief: