Book Review: Is a Worry Worrying You?

Is a Worry Worrying You? by Ferida Wolff

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


As someone with an anxiety disorder that was not diagnosed until the age of 30 I really wanted this book to be a good message to children. Thankfully it is!
Is a Worry Worrying You starts off by discussing what a worry is, because let's face it kids don't really know. It's hard to understand how a 'thing' can be a 'thing' without being a 'thing' that you can touch. Ferida Wolff does a wonderful job of talking about how a worry can feel heavy and huge and make you sad; even though you cannot see it or might have trouble describing it.

We then move into what can a worry be. From elephants showing up uninvited to monsters under the bed to annoying relatives there is a wide gamut of worries described and in each instance the worry is resolved somehow. Most of the worries are really simple, but certainly something a child might be worrying about.

Towards the end it discusses how to get rid of a worry that can't be solved immediately. And this is where the real magic of this story is, as it talks about facing that worry head-on. Talking to someone about it, and seeing if the worry even makes sense! These are things that I feel would have been invaluable to child me. But as with all children's books the final page and written line are what everything is all about! I won't spoil it for you, except to say that it's perfect.

The illustrations in this book are a little bit darker and I really loved them. You can also play a game with your little one to find the monster on every page. He's there, lurking like a worry might, sometimes easy to see and other times harder to see. I would happily read this story to a small child night after night. I can even see gifting it to someone older or about to embark on a trip or new stage of life. It serves as a reminder that worries are only worries if you let them be worries. Because, after all, you can always sing the monster to sleep.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

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