What Do I Do with a Worry tells the story of a young girl that is full of "what ifs." With her grandma's love and support, the two share their worries and come up with ways to let them flutter away. This book is Christian-based and is a sweet story for young ones who struggle with anxiety.

Hubs and I always say our daughter carries the weight of her world on her shoulders. For one so young, she worries about EVERYTHING. Will I get in trouble if I tell my mom? What if I fall out of this gymnastic move? What if my teeth fall out and it hurts (yup - she's got her first wiggly teeth)? What if I don't make any friends when school starts again? The what-ifs are nonstop, and I have to catch it because she doesn't verbalize any of these fears. They come out as not wanting to go to gymnastics anymore, a look on her face of her internalizing her fears and withdrawing from things that she enjoys. It's been a struggle for her to trust me when I talk to her about things. She won't listen to reason - she has to experience things herself. I dread the teenage years.

But I found a game changer. I was provided an advanced copy of the book What Do I Do With Worry? by Josh Straub and Christi Straub. Thank goodness! Like a true teenager, my daughter will listen to anyone that isn't me. And this book worked!

In this book, you meet Willow and all of her what-ifs from making new friends to fitting in. It was like reading a story about my daughter, and she recognized that too. She perked up and said "hey! I feel that way sometimes!" We read on, and the story gave her a clear idea of what to do when she finds the what-ifs getting to be too much.

This prompted us to start talking about her what-ifs, as she had previously shared some fears about her wiggly teeth. That's when she confided in me about her fear of gymnastics and why she was not wanting to go to class or practice anymore. We had a good talk, and I could feel some of that weight lifting off of her. Her next step is to try and follow the steps the book gave her, and see the results.

Fingers crossed that this book works! I will be buying a copy when it comes out in April.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love the simplicity of this cover!

The book is unique and educational. It was a great read for my kids and I. Both of which struggle with anxiety! GREAT book!!!!!

Overall, I'd definitely read more books by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book!

Overall, I think the concept of teaching kids to release their worries is one that is super needed, especially in the world's current state. However, I think the component of releasing your worries to God limits the audience that this book could be used for on a larger scale in a classroom, etc. I also wish the author would have expanded a little on the technique that Willow was trying to use in releasing her worries.

When you're small, and be outside your comfort zone, sometimes worry come. One kid can have more worries than others, and this is not a small matter. This book encourage kids to let go of their worries. There's always a way to be free of worry and make the first step.

What Do I Do with Worry?
by Josh Straub, Christi Straub
Back of the Book: “Young Willow is a worrier. She’s just moved to a new neighborhood, and with it comes a new lineup of questions and doubts. What if there are tornadoes here? What if I trip getting on the bus? What if my dad loses his new job? What if a star falls out of the sky and lands on my dog?
Sometimes silly but always real, Willow’s worries keep her from enjoying her new home, from resting well, and from working with classmates. Thankfully, she has wise parents and some new friends to help her along and to teach her the biblical way to deal with her emotions.
Today’s world can be overwhelming to children, who are experiencing worry and anxiety at younger ages and unprecedented levels. Dr. Josh and Christi Straub—authors, leaders, and family advocates—are passionate about giving parents knowledge and resources to help their children navigate these emotions. The couple offered their wisdom and relevance in their first picture book, What Am I Feeling? and they continue to do so in this follow-up board book, matching a fun story with practical lessons and memorable mantras to help kids not only face down their worry today but as they grow into tomorrow as well.”
Impressions: As a parent, I am always on the lookout for books to clearly explain and discuss our different emotions. Worry is one of those feelings that can be difficult to express as a kid. I appreciated this story and the way the character learns to manage her worries. My boys are 5 and 9 years old. This year has been challenging for them but this book gave a great strategy for how to look at their worries and fears. I didn’t care for the illustrations but the message was on point.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

What Do I Do with Worry? by Josh Straub and Christi Straub tells the story of Willow, a young girl who sometimes lets her worries take over her thoughts. Grandmother teaches Willow how worries are like birds who wiggle when you try to hold on to them. She teaches Willow how to name her worry birds and release them. If the book stopped here, this would be perfect to use in the classroom. Unfortunately, Grandmother tells Willow to release those worry birds to God. This is obviously okay for parents to read to children, but makes it where I cannot read it in my classroom. This would have been excellent to use in my elementary special education classroom. I will still read the book to my own children, but cannot adopt it for classroom use.

I loved the beginning of the story and illustrations. The description of the “what if” worries is perfect for young children. The putting it in gods hands discussion makes this something I would not read in the classroom or school but it would be great for a home and personal read with young children.

Willow moved to a new home in a new neighborhood and has a lot of worries about it. Willow worries the new kids will not like her, that she won't like her room, and that her parents might be upset with her for worrying so much. I love that this is addressed. I think that people do not realise how much kids fear getting in trouble for voicing their worries.

"Happy thoughts couldn't find much room in her worried-filled mind." This is a very important statement. When happy things happen to those who worry a lot it can be very hard to concentrate on the good when your mind is filled with so many "what if" situations.

Willows grandmother helps Willow understand that it is OK to worry, but once you to address the worry you need to let it go. Willow's grandma gave her a few examples of her own worries then she showed her a few ways to cope with those worries.

A lot of strong feelings and issues were addressed in this book and I thought it was done very well. I feel this book would be great for a wide range of ages. Both my three-year-old nephew and my 10 year old daughter enjoyed reading this book together.

Little Willow is a worrywart. She worries about every little thing. She and her family just relocated to a new neighbourhood and a thousand questions and doubts are stuck in her head about the move.

"What if there are tornadoes here? What if I trip getting on the bus? What if my dad loses his new job? What if a star falls out of the sky and lands on my dog?" ... to Willow all valid concerns.

With all that anxiety Willow 's life is very impacted and keeps her from enjoying her new adventure. She isn't enjoying her new home, cannot get a good rest and worries about working with her new classmates. Oh my!

She is very fortunate to have loving parents and some brand new friends that will support and help her in a biblical way to process and deal with all those scary feelings inside of her.

Dr. Josh and Christi Staub are authors, leaders, and family advocates whose mission is to enlighten parents with knowledge and resources to help children understand their emotions.

This board book has bright, vibrant illustrations and contains a wonderful story with practical guidance to help kids navigate feelings of worry and fear. I highly recommend this book.

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a book to help your child/children you care for, deal with worry, and want it from a biblical stand point, then this will be perfect for you.

I must admit I'd skimmed over the biblical part in the description on NetGalley, and was more looking for a good book on dealing with worry for young readers.

However it does have some effective, quick advice on coping with worry. And is beautifully illustrated.

If you have a youngster who is a worrier, you'll want this book.  Willow's grandma gives her some simple and effective advice for handling those squirmy worries.

Name your worry
Talk about your worry to someone you love
Draw a picture of what you would do if God held your worry for you
Talk to God and thank Him for holding your worries

Will this solve everything or make worries go away?  Probably not.  However, it opens the discussion and encourages children to trust God and others by being open about the things that cause them anxiety.  It also has some helpful first steps for dealing with worry.

This is a sturdy board book suitable for children from preschool through grade 3.

The root of worry is when you start with "what if".

Willow worries so much that she is unable to enjoy what is around her which includes relationships. Her family just moved into a neighborhood and she is worried about so many things. Her wise grandma gives Willow a lesson on worry from the bible. We are not meant to worry. When we hold on to worry, the worry makes our stomachs hurt, our minds unsettled that we are unable to function.

Grandma is honest about her own worries but she has a way to give her worries to God that she shares with Willow.

The message is clear. It does not claim to change our circumstances but how we respond. Highly recommend.

A Special Thank you to B&H and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

What Do I Do With Worry? is a good book to include in a child’s personal library. Willow and her family just moved to a new town and she’s worried about making friends and adapting to a new place. This book does mention God so I would be a little hesitant to use this in a general classroom setting but it would be great for a family that has recently moved or for children who are starting school and are a little nervous!

As a preschool teacher, I frequently come into contact with students who struggle with worry and anxiety. This book is a great resource for parents and caregivers that tackles the topic from a faith-based point of view. I felt that the authors handled the struggles that young children face in an appropriate manner. I would definitely recommend this book to specific parents who have students that struggle with worry and anxiety.

I think this book was very cute and very simple, although it's sad that a child so young would have those sorts of insecurities and worries.
Bright and colourful, and a lovely way of getting rid of anxieties is learned .

This is a cute little book and I think that a lot of people, adults included, can relate to it. Willow worries about everything and has a lot of questions about everything in life (what-ifs). Her grandma teaches her to turn her negative what-ifs into positive what-ifs, and I think it is a beautiful story with a great vision. The illustrations are simple and well-done with vibrant colors.

I felt that this book lacked depth, even for a young audience. The cartoonish/unrealistic representations of the characters did not draw me in, and the references to God means I cannot use it in my Pre-K/K classroom. Moreover, the story was not very compelling. I appreciate the message behind it but I unfortunately can't see a child wanting to read this book multiple times.

This short book was colorful, nice and diverse. I appreciate the subject and the characters. It's very important to help children to acknowledge their worries and know what to do with them. I consider the approach nice but you must consider it's faith/God related. This is a good book to read to kids, especially if you're a religious parent.

It makes me sad that this book even has to be made--sad that so many kids take on worry at such young ages. But alas, it's important for books like this to exist so that kids know they aren't alone and that others deal with the same issues, and even to know how to handle them. While I like the book overall, I do think it is a small, simple idea. It gives one example of what to do with worry. I would have loved for the author to give multiple examples, in case this one specific one doesn't work for the reader.
But other than that, I thought it was a joy to read.