Little Kids, Big Emotions: Anxious
This series continues to grow and I’m excited to share all the emotions I’ve covered so far – happy, sad, mad, shy, enthusiasm, frustrated, silly, and calm! Today’s list is about anxiety, or feeling worried, an emotion that is more and more prevalent, especially among young people. Notice, that I did include a book list about feeling calm, which would be a great companion list to this one to share with your little ones.
You’ll find a lot of the books use the word “worry” rather than anxious because I think it’s maybe a little easier to understand for kids and anxiety or anxiousness tends to be more severe. I think that as a caregiver it’s important to realize the difference and if your child is feeling more anxious in general, it might be something to bring up with their pediatrician. I just created a storytime lesson plan recently about growth mindset that I think would make another great companion post to this one. Caregivers must balance between validating their child’s feelings, while also helping them grow as human beings.
I think a lot of kids in today’s society worry about doing things a particularly “right” way and when it doesn’t work out the way they expect, they grow very frustrated and upset and unwilling to try again. I think being able to create a growth mindset in kids can help with creativity, imagination, and a sense that failure isn’t the end, it’s just one step in the process. So, if you’ve got a little one who’s got some big worries, check out this list as a great conversation starter!
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Little Kids, Big Emotions: Anxious
The Big Worry Day by K.A. Reynolds, illustrated by Chloe Dominique
A little girl is convinced that her dog worries, just like her. With a whole day ahead of them, she’ll need to figure out how to soothe them both. She prepares snacks, first aid, and even a sword in case there are any monsters. But when nothing works to ease their worries, she’ll need to get creative.
The Don’t Worry Book by Todd Parr
Todd Parr brings his trademark bright colors and bold lines to his new book about things that might make kids worry–from loud news, to loud neighbors, or a big day at school. With his signature humor and instantly recognizable style, Todd speaks out to kids who are feeling the weight of their world, offering solutions and comfort, as well as giggles.
Fraidy Zoo by Thyra Heder
Today is the perfect day for the zoo! But Little T is afraid to go. The only trouble is, she can’t remember what scared her at the zoo the last time. To help her remember, her mom, dad, and sister come up with an ingeniously creative solution: In a flurry of bubble wrap, umbrellas, water bottles, salad tongs, a mop, a vacuum cleaner, and much, much more, her family brings to life an astounding parade of zoo animals–in alphabetical order! Can you guess which animals the family is acting out? And can Little T stop feeling like such a “fraidyzoo”?
Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective by Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett, illustrated by Marissa Valdez
Meet Hattie Harmony, Worry Detective.
She’s always there to help her friends when they need her. And the first day of school can cause a lot of jitters—from speaking in front of the class to taking the bus. Hattie always finds the perfect tools to calm her friends’ bodies and minds. But when her own fears start to bubble up, can Hattie learn to overcome them herself?
It Was Supposed to Be Sunny by Samantha Cotterill
Laila feels like her sparkly sunshine birthday celebration is on the brink of ruin when it starts to storm. Then, just as she starts feeling okay with moving her party indoors, an accident with her cake makes her want to call the whole thing off. But with the help of her mom and a little alone time with her service dog, she knows she can handle this.
My Monster and Me by Nadiya Hussain, illustrated by Ella Bailey
A touching story about a little boy whose worry monster follows him everywhere he goes. It’s there when he gets dressed, when he wants to play with his toys, and even when his friends come over to visit. How can he escape his worries?
Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival
Meet Ruby-a happy, curious, imaginative girl. But one day, she finds something unexpected: a Worry. It’s not such a big Worry, at first. But every day, it grows a little bigger…and a little bigger…until eventually, the Worry is ENORMOUS and all she can think about. Can she ever feel happy again?
But then Ruby discovers that everyone has worries, and not only that, there’s a great way to get rid of them too…she just has to share her feelings. This perceptive and poignant story is the perfect springboard for talking to children about emotions and anxieties.
There Might Be Lobsters by Carolyn Crimi, illustrated by Laurel Molk
Lots of things at the beach scare Sukie. Lots. Because she is just a small dog, and the stairs are big and sandy, and the waves are big and whooshy, and the balls are big and beachy. And besides, there might be lobsters. With endearing illustrations and a perfectly paced text that captures a timid pup’s looping thoughts, here is a funny and honest read-aloud about how overwhelming the world can be when you’re worried — and how empowering it is to overcome your fears when it matters the most.
The Whatifs by Emily Kilgore, illustrated by Zoe Persico
What if my dog runs away?
What if I forget my homework?
And what if the sun stops shining?
What if my crayon breaks?
Cora is constantly worrying about everything. Because of this, the Whatifs love her. They sneak up to her and give her all kinds of doubts: big or small, silly or frightening, likely or impossible. As she prepares for an upcoming piano recital, the Whatifs cling on tighter and drag her down, making her anxious about messing up during the concert. Will she be able to change her worry-filled thoughts into hopeful ones?
Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
Wemberly worried about spilling her juice, about shrinking in the bathtub, even about snakes in the radiator. She worried morning, noon, and night. “Worry, worry, worry,” her family said. “Too much worry.”
And Wemberly worried about one thing most of all: her first day of school. But when it’s time to go back to school and she meets a fellow worrywart in her class, Wemberly realizes that school is too much fun to waste time worrying!
Wilma Jean the Worry Machine by Julia Cook
Anxiety is a subjective sense of worry, apprehension, and/or fear. It is considered to be the number one health problem in America. Although quite common, anxiety disorders in children are often misdiagnosed and overlooked. Everyone feels fear, worry and apprehension from time to time, but when these feelings prevent a person from doing what he/she wants and/or needs to do, anxiety becomes a disability.
This fun and humorous book addresses the problem of anxiety in a way that relates to children of all ages. It offers creative strategies for parents and teachers to use that can lessen the severity of anxiety. The goal of the book is to give children the tools needed to feel more in control of their anxiety. For those worries that are not in anyone’s control (i.e. the weather) a worry hat is introduced. A fun read for Wilmas of all ages!
The Worry Bear by Suzanne Chiew, illustrated by Sean Julian
Murray Bear has lots of worries. What if the waterfall he’s visiting is too loud? What if he’s not very good at climbing? And what if all his friends laugh at him? With the help of his sister, Milly, Murray makes a special box in which to keep all his worries. But can the worry box really help?
