Member Reviews

As a teacher, this book made me emotional. Our kids come to school and we never know what they are carrying. Their worries can effect them throughout their day and this book is such a great reminder of this.

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This book isn’t bad. It does have a rhyming cadence. However, sometimes the cadence is extremely bumpy. In this book, a worry is a tangible thing that you can see, taste, and touch. The worry follows the child around until it gets too big and unruly and a child has to seek help. This has been done before both worse and better but overall, this book works.

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I loved this one! Very similar to Ruby Finds a Worry but a great reminder of how we can handle our worries and how if we talk about them and don't keep them inside we can deal with them more easily. I really appreciated the illustrations showing the worry getting smaller and smaller. Definitely recommend!

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Thanks NetGalley for the preview!

This book was wonderful for explaining anxiety to kids! The illustrations were fun and vibrant. It’s always good when there are resources included at the back as well. A good one!

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"The Worrying Worries" is an enchanting children's book that brilliantly captures the emotional journey of a little boy dealing with a worry that follows him persistently. Reminiscent of the illustrative style in "Ruby Has a Worry" by Tom Percival, the book presents its own charming visual language, offering vibrant and fun artwork that complements the storyline well.

One of the book's standout features is its introduction of effective techniques to help children tackle feelings of worry. These techniques are cleverly integrated into the narrative, allowing children to learn and internalize coping strategies while engaging with the story. This powerful fusion of entertainment and education imparts a valuable lesson on managing anxiety, making it a valuable resource for both children and their caregivers.

The engaging rhyming scheme keeps the narrative lively and fun, capturing a child's attention throughout. It's a testament to the book's appeal that my five-year-old daughter was captivated, thoroughly enjoying both the story and the lesson it carried.

"The Worrying Worries" provides an empathetic perspective on managing worries, teaching children (and perhaps some adults too) a valuable lesson in an accessible and entertaining manner.

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This was a fairly good picture book. I always like a story book that has rhymes in them as I find they flow really well and this one sometimes rhymed and sometimes didn't, kind of wish it either stuck with it or didn't but it wasn't the end of the world for me. I also wasn't the biggest fan of the mixing of two different kinds of illustration styles, they just didn't mesh super well for me. The actual concept and story in the book was good. I liked the idea of a worry being something you can see and it getting bigger and bigger the more you think of it. The exercises mentioned to help cope with the worrying were good. I just wanted a bit more out of this than I got but would still read to a child.

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I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful book. The pictures are adorable and I think it would be really helpful to a child who has anxiety.

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The Worrying Worries
By Rachel Rooney, Illustrated by Zehra Hicks
In the book, The Worrying Worries, the talented duo Rachel Rooney and Zehra Hicks animate an intangible thought named, ‘worry’ and show the readers how it can grapple young mind.
‘Worry’ becomes an unwelcome pet, who follows the child everywhere. It feeds on the fears and grows annoyingly bigger, until a worry expert saves the day for the child. The gentle reminder by the worry expert gives an important message to stop, take a break & recharge when we often feel pressured by worries. The lucid illustrations will engage the readers in a fun way to do the things we love and enjoy, thus, getting back in control of ourselves. This book can be a valuable addition to any children’s book collection.

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I thought this was a cute book that I would definitely want to use in my classroom to discuss worries with my students. This book seems very close to the book "Ruby Finds a Worry," though there are a few major differences to a degree where I feel as if I could use these books as companions to one another in the classroom. I like the fact that this book discussed specific "symptoms" of worries, such as stomach aches or bad dreams, which are relatable to kids. Also, I liked that it discussed specific strategies for coping with worry. The main character met with a "worry expert" and they shared specific ways to eliminate worries. I thought this book was extremely educational and practical for young students coping with worries.

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The Worrying Worries by Rachel Rooney is a sweet story about a young person who finds a Worry and decides to keep it as a pet. Soon, however, this Worry becomes more than they bargained for but they are unsure of how to cope with it.

What my kids really enjoyed about this book was the rhyming prose. It made the story flow. As a parent, one thing I really enjoyed about the story was that the young person in the story learns some coping mechanisms for the Worry and I think that is so important to teach children.

The character in the story was very relatable to young children and they showed the Worry interfering with regular everyday activities in the character's life.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, American Psychological Association, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I thank the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

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The Worrying Worries
By Rachel Rooney
Publisher: American Psychological Association
Series: None
Rated:4
Obtain: Borrow or Buy
Back of the Book: “Do you ever worry about your worries? This lively rhyming picture book explores what happens when children encounter a worry, and some simple strategies to tame them. 
Everyone has had a worry at some point. Worries can be awful pests, and they hate to see you happy. They can follow you to the library, the park, and back home. They might whisper mean things to you, cause stomachaches, or keep you up at night. But you don’t have to keep your worries.
In upbeat rhymes and engaging illustrations, this book shares some simple exercises children can practice to stay calm and banish those pesky worries for good!”

Impressions: I think this was a charming book about a very real struggle for all ages. The text and pictures were colorful and fun while remaining easy to follow. Just as important, the ideas were easy to follow and understand. I think there were clear illustrations of identifying worry and how it makes us feel. There was an action plan as well with how to cope when you are worrying. I think this was a helpful book for my son and would recommend it to others.

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://thebluestockingbooknook.wordpress.com

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Great book to introduce worries to kids and how much they can affect you. The Reader’s Note at the end is a great tool. The pictures really add a visual impact to this story.

Thank you, Netgalley and American Psychological Association, for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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This picture book teaches kids about the concept of worries. It normalizes the experience of worrying and shows how your worries can get smaller over time. So many picture books use the same approach of portraying a negative emotion as a furry, size-shifting creature that this felt fairly derivative, and I wasn't thrilled with the ending, which is oversimplified for people who are suffering from anxiety as a mental health issue and not just dealing with occasional worries that are easy to move beyond and dismiss.

The author's note includes some good advice for parents, and I can see this being helpful at home, in the classroom, and in some counseling contexts. However, this is mainly for kids learning about the nature of worries, not for kids with serious anxiety problems that they can't just shrug off through a change of mindset.

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This is. Beautifully illustrated children’s book that helps kids understand worries. It’s very important for kids to learn about this in todays world. Great book.

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A colorful, fun rhyming book that helps children understand worries. It helps link physical symptoms with worries and provided simple strategies to help.

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I found that the readers note says it all, this is a great book that in a lighthearted way introduces how the mind and body are connected and how our thinking impacts our feelings. This is a well done story that also adds tips and exercises to banish worries for young children.

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As a 3rd grade teacher, I am always looking for ways to connect to SEL moments. I read this story to my class, and they loved it. We decided that it had lively pictures that really represented what was happening. They thought the abstract artwork was very appealing. In fact, one student pointed out how the worries where bright, not dull, as you might expect them to be. The kids were able to easily figure out the message/moral of the story...the more you think about worries, the bigger they become...so relax! It's a great message for kids and adults alike!

Thank you to NetGalley and Affirm Press for the opportunity to read this with my students!

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Tap into a difficult subject with your little ones using this book. It's a nice way to approach it. A great way to help your young ones deal with such big feelings.

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Overall, I think this book does a decent job of showing a kid dealing with fear/anxiety. The illustrations are decent with a couple specific exceptions. A few rhymes were clunky. And I had to go back and reread to figure out the rhythm. My biggest issue is probably the rhythm/meter of the whole book. It’s the same quick pace throughout, and the combination of trochees and iambs is just too bouncy, so I didn’t feel like the fear was ever really an issue.

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Perfect book for kids with worries or anxiety. Explains expertly what a worry is and how to combat them. Gives tips and exercises to try. My anxious 6 year old found this book very helpful

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