Wemberly Worried
Kevin Henkes
Wemberly worries about everything, especially starting school — until she meets a friend who worries too. Relatable, funny, and kind to anxious children.
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6 handpicked books
Anxiety & Worries
Worry is loud, physical, and completely real to a small child. These books put it outside the body — where it can be talked about, shrunk, and managed together.
The Kissing Hand
Audrey Penn
Chester's mother leaves a kiss in his palm to carry to school. A ritual families can copy on any first day or hard goodbye.
Wilma Jean the Worry Machine
Wilma Jean the Worry Machine
Julia Cook
Wilma Jean's worries take over her stomach and her school day, and the book offers practical ways to sort what she can control from what she cannot.
Scaredy Squirrel
Mélanie Watt
Scaredy Squirrel plans for every danger and never leaves his tree — until he accidentally does, and it is wonderful. Deadpan humour for cautious children.
The Whatifs
The Whatifs
Emily Kilgore
Cora's “whatifs” buzz louder and louder before her piano recital until she learns to answer them. A clear model of anxious thoughts and how to talk back to them.
When My Worries Get Too Big!
Kari Dunn Buron
A short, practical book that teaches a five-point scale for stress and simple calming steps. Part story, part tool — useful for children who need concrete strategies.
A note for grown-ups
Practise the book's calming trick together while you are both calm, so it is familiar when it is needed.