THE WORRYING WORRIES

A little irritation grows to be a BIG problem.

It all starts when a tan-skinned child traps a Worry in their net. They decide to take it home and keep the pocket-sized purple scribble as a pet. At first, the Worry is benign. Then it becomes more annoying, getting caught in the child’s hair or tugging on their shirt. Soon the young narrator is unable to eat because of a stomachache. Meanwhile, the Worry consumes the child’s fingernails and tears, growing bigger. After the Worry hogs the covers and invades the child’s dreams, the child makes a firm decision: The Worry cannot stay. The child takes the Worry on a leash to a brown-skinned “Worry Expert,” who helps the narrator practice exercises to calm themself, like visualizing positive things, deep breathing, and moving their body. It does the trick, and the Worry soon shrinks. The central metaphor is nothing new, but the focused narrative and illustrations that look like they were created by a child are actually just right for introducing this complex mental reality to younger kids. Backmatter written by school psychologist Tammy L. Hughes points out how the protagonist makes a conscious decision to deal with the Worry, promoting “self-determination and feelings of accomplishment.” Readers will glimpse other Worries hanging on to children in the illustrations, signaling that this is a common phenomenon. The background cast is diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A good tool to help young worriers conquer their anxieties.