This is really sweet, and I'm sure for a certain population this would be helpful. It's certainly beautiful, simple, and straightforward, which are all beneficial things for an anxious child.

I struggle with the response/solution being to ask for help and a hug - the deep breathing part is great, but I could not help but think of the kiddos I work with who often don't have this option. Many caregivers are not emotionally (or even, at times, physically) available to provide a child with the kind of response that would co-regulate their anxieties.

So while I do think some children will benefit from this, and some might find it relatable, I would not recommend it to those who are struggling with anxiety and find themselves rather alone in dealing with it.

I loved this book! As a parent who has struggled with anxiety for a lot of her life and has a child who struggles with anxiety, this book did an amazing job of describing the feelings associated with anxiety. It definitely normalizes the feelings and I love how it ends with describing what a child should do when they feel that way.

A beautifully illustrated and deeply written book with children experiencing anxiety. I could have used a fewww more pages about coping, but there is also an additional amount of information for parents. I'm extremely glad that I got to read this - and I will surely recommend! Thank you to NetGalley, Luciana De Luca and Annick Press!

I think I wish it had gotten *slightly* more into why we might feel these ways (or even acknowledging that sometimes we don't know), and the fact that it's okay to feel these ways. But overall I loved the illustrations and I always love anything that attempts to normalize these difficult feelings for kids.

5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Luciana De Luca for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is such an amazing book. Especially for parents, baby-sitters, or loved ones of small children with anxiety. Or even for loved-ones who have anxiety trying to explain this to little children. It does such a good job of explaining things and talking about how to help cope with these feelings.

I will definitely be reading this to my future children. And I highly recommend this book to anyone with small children.

This was a beautiful book about anxiety and how it affects young children. The illustrations were beautiful too. I think this is a wonderful resource for young kids struggling with anxiety.

Beautiful book for children who battle anxiousness. I particularly liked how the pages dealing with the anxious feelings are colored in blacks and grays so that they contrast with the pages showing non-anxious days. As someone who suffers from anxiety, this visually illustrates to a child how the feelings of anxiety can make you feel dark and gray. I especially liked how the author shows that it is okay to ask for help and a hug when feelings of anxiety take over. The resources at the end of the book are a nice added benefit.

This is an absolutely beautiful book on the intricacies of anxiety. I think this is a great book for all ages and the illustrations really pull it together.

This is a sweet story about a little girl who had anxiety and she realizes if she asks for help or a hug it can make things better.

The illustrations in the book are perfection. I love being able to reference a book like this to my kids to let them know these emotions are normal. Beautifully done!

Anxious by Luciana De Luca is a beautiful children's book that really captures what anxiety feels like in ways that it seems young children can understand. However, I wish the book included more tools or exercises in the text in addition to the helpful resources at the end. Amazing illustrations. Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC.

—Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This quote from the synopsis encapsulates this book perfectly.
“...complicated feelings brought on by anxiousness, perfect for helping young readers identify this complex emotion.“
This was so heartwarmingly emotional and relatable.

Anxious is a book that I wished I had when I was younger. It offers easy to understand descriptions of what anxiety can feel like. To be able to name something and communicate what you’re feeling can be so powerful. There are pages that make me, as an adult, want to show people and say “This!! This is how it feels!”. I could see this book being useful to helping kids understand their own anxiety, but also maybe that of a sibling, friends, or parent.

The artwork is stunning. The scenes with fear and worry are darker color schemes, while the happier, calmer scenes are full of bright colors.

The end contains a note to readers that helps further explain anxiety and how to ask for help when it becomes too much. There is a note to adults and caregivers that offer suggested prompts for conversation, breathing techniques, and other coping strategies to help their anxious children.

I will absolutely be picking up a copy upon release.

Anxious is a beautifully illustrated book that speaks accurately and gently to the struggle of anxiety. I’ll be buying this for the parents and teachers in my life—it’s a must-have resource for the little ones in our lives.

An amazing illustration of what anxiety can feel like. A much needed book to show kids they aren't alone or wrong to feel so anxious, as well as solid advice on things you can do to feel better.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book before publication.

It’s refreshing to see that books about emotions and how to handle them in a positive and healthy way is refreshing. Kids go through so much before they make it to adulthood, it’s only fair that parents have book options with positive messages to share with their children.

The internal chaos and struggle that anxiety can bring is not only told to us through words, but is also reflected in the beautifully captivating artwork on every page. For children who have a hard time imagining the words in a book, especially a finicky thing like anxiety, the artist really captured what anxiety can look a feel like.

My daughter suffers from bouts of anxiety, and I can’t wait to share this book with her. The added resources in the back of the book for young readers and their caregivers is a great addition and is very helpful.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc, in exchange for an honest review! As someone who struggles with anxiety herself, I was curious to read a child’s book on the topic. After reading it, I felt that it explained how a child experiencing anxiety could be feeling very well and I believe it’s important for a book like this to be made for children!

This was a super cute book with great illustrations for kids with worries and anxiety. I love the guided questions at the end for adults to ask their children.

I think this is such a great book for children, especially those experiencing anxiety. The author does a great job describing what it can feel like when you're experiencing anxiety in a way that children can understand and relate to.
I just wish there was more focus on ways to help your anxiety. There were only 2 pages, with just a couple short lines, with things you can do when you feel anxious. I think this book would have been more beneficial if it had more focus on ways to relieve anxiety and what can help in those scary situations rather than mostly on how you feel when you feel anxious.
 
I loved that the illustrations showed the dull, dark gloominess of anxiety and then changed to colourful when the anxiety was being relieved.

A great tool for parents of young children with anxiety. The art is beautiful, and while the story itself is a little sparse. The tools and guides at the end for both children and parents is wonderful.