Products I Love
Worries and Anxiety
Scaredy Squirrel
Ages: 4-8 years
So good for those kids who seek extra control over their life, and have a hard time with change and letting go. Also a great book for the worrier-type of child. It’s an easy read, fun, funny, and relatable!
Orion and the Dark
Ages: 3-7 years
Orion is scared of a lot of things, but most of all he’s scared of the dark. So one night the Dark decides to take Orion on an adventure. This is a great book for kids with fears, especially fear of the dark!
Jack’s Worry
Ages: 4-8 years
Most of us can relate to the first-time jitters! This is a wonderful book that takes you on Jack’s journey battling a growing worry the morning of his first trumpet concert. This book is particularly great for kids that have a hard time trying new things or are slow to warm up in new environments.
The Night Box
Ages: 4-7 years
This one is great for our more anxious or even curious sleepers that wonder what happens during the nighttime. This is a story that brings magic into the time between when the sun sets and the sun rises.
Leonardo, the Terrible Monster
Ages: 3-8 years
Such a cute one about a monster who is pretty terrible at being a “monster” because he cannot scare people! Once he does, he realizes it’s not all that it's cut out to be and he’d rather be a good friend. This is the same author as the Elephant + Piggie Series.
Even Superheroes Make Mistakes
Ages: 4-8 years
We all glorify the power of superheroes...but what if they weren’t perfect? What if they messed up? This book is really cute for kids who are either afraid of making mistakes or get stuck in them without being able to move to the problem-solving stage.
The Lion Inside
Ages: 3-5 years
Even the smallest of beings have an inner lion inside their hearts, and even the largest of beings can be scared. This is a GREAT book about learning to not judge a book by it’s cover but also about the power of courage lies within every single person. I love the message of this story so much!
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon
Ages: 4-8 years
This book encompasses themes of not judging a book by its cover, being bullied, feeling different, self-confidence, and personal power. This charming story will resonate with any child who has been made fun of or fears what other people think. I love this book for every child, regardless of whether they have personally experienced bullying or not.
I can do hard things
Ages: 5-10 years
This is a great book that introduces Mindful Affirmations to kids. These affirmations can be so helpful in developing resilience, confidence, and a growth mindset. I also love that it includes diverse characters.
Too Many Bubbles: A Story about Mindfulness
Ages: 4-8 years
This story teaches social emotional skills like mindfulness, empathy, bravery, and creativity by following Izzy and her thought bubbles that just won’t seem to go away (and cast a shadow over her day). This is a great intro into mindfulness for little ones!
Wemberly Worried
Ages: 4-8 years
This is such a great book for children who are worriers in general and have busy brains. Wemberly worries about everything--big and small. Until one day she realizes how her worries are getting in the way of her fun!
When Worry Takes Hold
Ages: 5-7 years
This is a great portrayal of how our worries can start to grow bigger and bigger if we don’t learn to create a different type of relationship with them (i.e. through courage). Great book for the older ones to learn how to cope with worry.
The Whatifs
Ages: 4-8 years
I love characterizing emotional experiences and I just love how this book characterizes the “whatsifs” as these little creatures that thrive on Cora’s worries. I also love that this externalizes her worries rather than fusing them into her identity.
Hey Warrior
Ages: 3-5 years
Great children’s explanation of anxiety as it manifests in the mind and body and gives some good coping strategies to try out.
Me and my fear
Ages: 4-8 years
Everyone has fears and anxieties sometimes. This is a story about a young girl who has to move to a new country, with a new language and all of the fears that come along with that. This is a great story for anyone struggling with adjustment to new situations.
The Good Egg
Ages: 4-8 years
Being perfect can be so HARD! As the other eggs in the dozen behave badly, the good egg starts to crack from all the pressure of feeling like he has to be perfect. This is an adorable read on accepting our humanness and our imperfections, which we are not alone in. John’s entire series is adorable--you will find many of them on these lists!
Worry Says What?
Ages: 5-12 years
With a relatable story and beautiful illustrations, this book will help children (and adults) flip their thinking when anxious thoughts begin and turn them into reminders that they can do hard things!
The Invisible String
Ages: 4-8 years
One of my favorite finds to date! This book can be used for children dealing with all types of loss, grief, and separation anxiety. In this book, the children are afraid to go to sleep alone and their mother reassures them that they are always connected to their loved ones with an invisible string, no matter how close or how far that person (or pet) may be. For such a complicated subject, it is written in such a positive and heartwarming way.
Catching Thoughts
Ages: 4-8 years
For every child who has been weighed down by sadness or anxiety, this story teaches kids how to acknowledge unwanted thoughts, show them compassion, then actively replace them with positive thoughts instead. Catching Thoughts is a quiet, thoughtful story that teaches readers how to practice mindfulness, focusing on thoughts that bring beauty, joy, and calm into their lives
Once I Was Very Very Scared
Ages: 4-10 years
This book, written by a psychologist, is a wonderful book for any child who has experienced trauma. It talks about different feelings and responses that we can have after trauma, and gives some ideas for coping strategies. It highlights the importance of talking about our feelings and what happened. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.