A first-person discussion of anxiety, from the point of view of a kid who describes it as a kind of belly burp – a rising feeling of nastiness and doubt and insecurity in his guts that ends up enveloping him like a heavy animal sat on his chest. It's alright if it seldom happens, but if it's in class he has to then worry about the impression he gives off to his friends and other kids, and then when homework is there to be done, why – he missed half the lesson with anxiety, so how is he supposed to feel then?!

The book doesn't look quite professional enough – it doesn't appear to be from a major publishing house, and that isn't a realistic pillow there – but it's not to say it's a failure. It may well be this speaks to an anxious child – and gives the right advice to ride it out – at just the right time and in just the ideal way. If that's the case it probably does a lot more than many other books you might think of buying. It is trying for a slice of a popular pie, with many books discussing such issues, but I can't really wish it ill. Three and a half stars, perhaps.

Thank you, Netgalley, for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own

I wish this book was around when I was a child. Anxiety is crippling and I was bullied due to it. Luckily, the mental half is no longer something to hide, and kids get to see themselves in books.

Belly rise was a quick and easy read for all age groups, even adults! My small children loved it and it gave me good tips to discuss with my children to help cope with nerves in new places. My 12 year old also enjoyed it as he suffers from anxiety and is learning new ways to cope with it through counseling. Would definitely recommend!

The book is very interesting for children. Belly Rise is a book about anxiety that children also suffer from. I loved this book because of the great message about self-love and self-acceptance. I will happily recommend her to my young patients and their parents. Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

Belly Rise is a beautifully written and deeply resonant exploration of self-acceptance and body positivity. Through its heartfelt narrative and rich prose, the book provides a valuable perspective on the journey toward self-love and acceptance. It is a moving read that will resonate with anyone who has grappled with their own body image and self-worth.

Belly Rise is an honest, authentic and relatable accounting of anxiety and gives you tips to overcome it.
The idea and the morals of this book are in the right place. As for the execution and the illustrations, I favour them more than I un-favour them, but I would have liked to see more nuances - this is a little on the obvious, matter-of-factedness, non-fiction side, which may be very informative for some young readers. I am glad this book exists, I only wish it were more subtle and narrative-focused. The illustrations are unique in many ways, but they could also do with more refining.

I really love how this book addresses anxiety. It shows the symptoms of anxiety in a cute and fun way that kids would understand. But what I really like is that they don't talk about anxiety as a bad thing and that it is something with a lot of people, even kids, struggle with, and gives ways of coping with these feelings without making the child feel like this is a bad thing or it makes them weird

This was a really cute book. It teaches children about the symptoms of anxiety and coping mechanisms for them in ways they can understand. The pictures are cute and this way kids can see that it’s not just them having the same concerns. Sometimes reading about some thing you have going on from someone else’s perspective really opens your eyes.