"Hello, Anxiety" is exactly the kind of book I want to buy for the littles in my life. I love the specific science based information (I mean it even brings up the amygdala to the FMC) and adore that we are getting kiddos equipped with this knowledge. The bookmarks her dad gave her were a great way to highlight points throughout and the poem from grandma on the first one is something I may even chant to myself as an adult. I wasn't in love with the art style but it was effective and well done.

This book did a decent job of relaying that anxiety is something that lots of people face, broke it down into parts, and gave techniques to help tackle anxiety. While I think it was relatable and decently done I did find that the juxtaposition of the book report assignment causing anxiety and the extended metaphor of anxiety being a big book we carry around got a little crossed at times with my own children and I had to explain more.

I thought this was a great book with some practical tips. As an anxious mother of an anxious child, I found parts very relatable, and some of Destiny’s words echoed things my daughter has said almost exactly. I believe we can take the tips from this book and adapt them to our own needs. While I’m not sure how much my kids would enjoy reading it, I know they would definitely benefit from it.

Such a cute book. My son enjoyed it and I think it has a nice representation. I think children will enjoy this book very much. Thank you for sharing with us!

When Destiny's class is assigned book reports, her usual anxiety kicks even further into overdrive. She just can't concentrate to get started, there's too much fear swirling around in her brain! Little does she know that her Dad has been in her shoes, and has a few helpful tricks up his sleeve. With the help of calming breaths, a mantra bookmark, and her Mom's 'courage bracelet', Destiny is able to bring her own courage out of hiding and face her fears.

Oh boy, was I a Destiny at her age and a Destiny now! But I imagine this book would've truly helped me as an over-anxious child, and I have no doubt it'll help the kiddos who read it now. It's a realistic look at just how terrifying and overwhelming anxiety can be, with a loving and encouraging look at how it can be tackled.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book, and I wish something like it had existed when I was younger.

I like how much it normalized anxiety and it shows that everyone can get anxiety and does get anxiety from time to time. I also liked how informational it was as well as how it provided tips to combat anxiety.

All in all, this was a good book!

I really liked this book. It was about anxiety and how to find coping mechanisms on managing it. I myself have had anxiety since childhood and I know how hard it can be. This story is great for anyone who has or is dealing with anxiety. I also liked the illustrations. Everything was clear and crisp and got the message off clearly. I really liked how in-depth the author went into what anxiety is and how to cope with it.

What a great book for anxiety. So many of our kids these days suffer from varying degrees of anxiety. This includes my 13 year old granddaughter. She gets stuck with her anxiety, just as the book says and then can’t decide what she has to do first. Frustration sets in and she becomes paralyzed and then nothing is completed. This book is perfect for preteen and teens to help understand that their anxiety may differ from others and no two people will use the same strategies. As a speech pathologist, I would say that 70% of my students have some degree of anxiety. My daughters, who both have anxiety, started making bracelets for their friends. It is such a comforting idea. I also use calming breaths with my speech students by pressing our hands together tightly and then releasing all the tension. We finish with namaste
The pictures are perfect and relatable.
This is a very well written and artistically informative book.

This book tells the story of a 3rd grader struggling with anxiety, especially when she’s tasked with a book report but can’t even begin because of the overwhelming pressure. Her anxiety feels so real, especially with the metaphor of it being a heavy book in her backpack.

One quote that stood out: "Anxiety makes everyday stuff seem so much worse." So true!
I love how the book highlights the importance of mindfulness and teaches valuable coping strategies. The parents are wise and so supportive, really helping the girl understand and manage her emotions.

This is definitely a book I’d recommend to my sensitive kid, who’s a good student but sometimes feels stage fright or other anxious moments. It’s a great way to show them they’re not alone and there are ways to cope.

I am always looking for school age books that explain what anxiety is for my kids and neurodivergent clients, both pesky thoughts and biological alarm bells. This was a lovely find! My kids also loved this book, they related to the project stress and liked the idea of different tools - breathing exercises are not for everyone.

I wish younger me could have read a book like this because I would have learned what anxiety was and that there were ways to help calm the feelings. It might be a little wordy for a child to read and understand the message. I think this book would be best read with an adult so they can be there to answer any questions. This is also a great resource for parents if they have a child that's anxious and not sure how to approach it.

Thanks NetGalley for an e-ARC.

Looking back on my childhood, I realized there were a lot of instances where my anxiety showed up and had no idea that that was it. There were no adults around me that knew or cared, they simply dismissed it as me being scared. I wish I had this book when I was a kid, I wish my parents had this book too.

I do think this is more for parents than for kids. The topic has been simplified enough for them to understand, but I feel like this book will be more useful to them if they also have a parent to guide and explain.

I am 21, and i have am anxiety disorder. As a child i didn't even fully know and understand what anxiety was and that these feelings were something i needed help with. I think with how unfortunately bad mental health is these days, starting with young children a book like this can make a big difference. It would not only make kids feel not so alone but to take the steps to help stop that 'Alarm'. The art was really nice and colorful which would also appeal to any young one.

I wish I had books like this when I was young and dealing with anxiety. This identifies the issues with real language while still being accessible. The adults in the book are supportive and offer real strategies that readers can engage when they feel anxious. The story is relatable and the illustrations are beautiful. The tips for caring adults at the end are an excellent resource. I’ll be reading this with my kids.

Hello, Anxiety is an informative picture book that is also a work of realistic fiction. The story is told from the perspective of a girl in the middle grades learning about her anxiety and some strategies to help manage her symptoms. The author also weaves in some brain science in an artful way. I think this picture book would make the perfect classroom read aloud for students in Grades 3-8 , library groups, therapy sessions, etc. Anxiety is rampent in our children so this is a great way to help students understand their feelings and what is happening in their body in these difficult times of big feelings.

Thank you Net Galley, Jessica Sinarski and the National Center for Youth Issues for the opportunity to preview this title. The opinions shared are my own.

Hello, Anxiety is now available.

A vibrant and engaging children's book that beautifully explains anxiety through the story of Destiny Davis, a smart yet anxious girl. The colorful illustrations draw you in from the start, making it a perfect tool for helping kids understand anxiety and its impact. A wonderful resource for explaining and working through anxious feelings with children.

This was an absolutely phenomenal book, filled with so much helpful information. '

I can see this being great for children with anxiety, their adults, and even others wanting to learn more about what it's like to live with anxiety.

I am 37 and I bawled my eyes out the entire time reading this. It feels good to be seen and representation is SO important!

Highly recommend this book!

This was a spectacular children's book about anxiety and finding coping mechanisms to manage it more on a daily basis. I have dealt with severe anxiety for as long as I can remember (am now 30yo) but wasn't formally diagnosed until I was 20 years old (due to misdiagnosis with other mental illnesses). I can say for sure, that this short story would have been a great help for me as a kid and probably would have facilitated a lot of good conversations surrounding mental health between me and my parents.

The illustrations were cute and simple which I think will work well for the intended audience age. I really liked how when the author utilized the simile of comparing anxiety to a book that you're constantly carrying around, the illustration conveyed that as well. It's also just a great comparison in general! Continuing with that, the dad's metaphor of "that book has been in my backpack my whole life" was a great way to show both Destiny (the young main character) and the children who will read this story, that even adults have moments of doubt and worry.

Last couple of items I wanted to note/applaud -- spelling out the enunciation of a scientific/medical word to help children learn to pronounce it on their own, showing other children around Destiny also experience worry/fear but we don't always know it, adding a fidget item for distraction, and the "tips for caring adults" at the end.

Definitely going to be buying this book for my nephew & niece and recommending it to friends who have young, school age children.

Very helpful book for students on coping with anxiety. In this case, the focus is on giving a book report and mastering the steps to speaking in front of your class. The guidance is helpful and comforting and the tone is absolutely appropriate. A lovely book which, I hope, will help out students. I made part of my living as a public speaker/teacher, so I am familiar with the approach this book takes. It does work! Good success to you.

This a great book for kids who struggle with anxiety. It includes practical tips that kids can use right away. This would be good for counselors, elementary teachers, parents.