The Worry Monster: Calming Anxiety with Mindfulness

by Catherine Cook-Cottone, Lena Podesta (illustrator)

Give kids tools to calm their inner worry monster with this interactive, vibrantly illustrated book! Tried-and-true methods from a child pscyhologist will have little ones mindfully breathing, practicing gratitude, and gracefully surfing their worry waves.

Everyone worries sometimes! But when your worries are giant, overwhelming, and constant--you've turned into a worry monster.
    Fortunately, the Worry Monster is here to help. He's going on a field trip tomorrow that he's very anxious about. Is there something that makes you very anxious, too?
    You're in luck! Worry Monster knows six Mindful Monster Moves that will help him--and you--stop the worry spiral. Will you join the Worry Monster and practice these skills so that you can both feel calmer?
    In this therapeutic story from Dr. Catherine Cook-Cottone, kids are able to see themselves in the Worry Monster and learn step-by-step practices for self-soothing and reducing their own anxiety.

Genres: Picture Books, Mental Health, Childrens, Emotion, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published December 3, 2024

Reviews

[Xiomara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was such a cute book. This was one of the books I got so I would be able to read out loud to my baby niece. She was not really that impressed with my reading out loud technique. She also wasn’t that interested on the story, but it was fun for me.

[Megan Sanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will absolutely be singing the anxiety song as I have my routine worries while driving away from my cat.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had randomly stumbled upon this book at a local book shop and it immediately caught my eye. I have a new niece, and as someone who currently struggles with anxiety, I thought this would be a nice last minute Christmas gift. Flipping through the pages, I was surprised at how 'real' the advice was to help yourself calm down during anxious times or anxiety attacks. Looking back at the cover and seeing this book was written by a child psychologist made me go, "OOOH, that's why this is so good!" haha.

The book opens with a letter to caregivers, educating us on common anxieties for children, and what content is in the book to help them. As a parent or caregiver, I'd highly recommend going through this book /with/ your child, for many reasons, but also to help you learn what steps may be good to take if you're out in the wild as your child (or another child) may be suffering from anxiety or anxiety attacks (or "worry waves" as it is referred to in the book, which is SO CUTE). The author also states that anxiety disorders are manageable and treatable, and to seek professional care if necessary.

The story revolves around a monster who has a field trip tomorrow and is all kinds of anxious. Thankfully they have a teacher there who is able to give them ideas on how to ground themselves. There are seven options to choose from, the teacher (author) stating that the monster may only need one or all seven. Covering the basics like deep breathing, to mindfulness like observing your surroundings. Anxiety attacks (worry waves) are covered too for more extreme cases, where you just have to 'ride that wave' and not try to fight it. The end is a positive outlook, where while there might be worries, the monster knows how to manage it now, and the field trip could actually be fun!

The last page includes a quick recap to help cement the information, and something quick to turn to if needed.

I have to say, the content of the book is fantastic, with professional advice that is approachable and easy for children to understand. (And if you're an adult, the advice is the same! My therapist has mentioned all of these techniques to me too, give them a try along with your kid!) I just love that it helps give children more words for their vocabulary to help describe what mental states they may be experiencing, to better be able to communicate and ask for help when they need it!

The art itself too is just adorable. I love the vibrant colors and assortment of characters (including one in a wheelchair which I thought was wonderful!). The art is simple when it needs to be and detailed in other places to leave your child discovering new things each read. (The last artwork of the field trip was so beautiful too! The lighting was just gorgeous, with all the characters backlit by the windows, it felt like you were standing there with them. And I loved the combination of yellow and pink! I'm an artist, so I had to nerd out for a second, haha. The artist did an amazing job!)

Clearly so much care went into this book, that even when my mom saw it, without even flipping through it for more than a second she knew immediately she had to buy it as well for my nephews. I'm so glad I came across it, I know my brother and sister-in-law will love it for sure.

Honestly this is a book I could easily recommend to anyone with kids, or for librarians too. This is a must-have for your collection! And I'll absolutely be checking out other books by this author. :)

[Mia Rader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I think it is a great book to help kids understand their feelings and how to deal with them. I enjoyed the tips for dealing with anxiety myself.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Worry monster, you’re okay
You’re getting braver every day
Rock your body and sing this song
Calming worries all day long” 🥹

[Jacklyn Azar]

Anxiety is something that can make us feel anxious and nervous all the time. Has their even been a time you have felt anxious? The Worry Monster By Catherine Cook-Cottone is about how young children who have feelings of nervousness and how the Worry Monster can help ease and make those feelings go away. This book did a very good job at explaining these feelings and being a voice for young children to make them feel calmer and have more control over their world. While reading this book, it made me feel more at ease about my feelings and helped me in a way understand these feelings being a older reader. The major themes in this book are self empowerment and normalcy. Self empowerment was demonstrated when I was reading this book because of how the author kept the Worry Monster present, and represented this character as the villain when in reality he was the hero. Normalcy was also very demonstrated because the book talked about how these feelings are normal but also normalized in the world. The main genre of this book is informational text. Through reading this book, children can learn how to control their emotions and feelings. This book was a WOW book for me because it was an eye-opener on how to control these emotions, and because of the coping and breathing skills it gave.

The author used multiple literary devices and other forms of writing crafts in this book. First, the author used the writing craft technique of symbolism. An example of this writing craft from this book is the Worry Monster himself. The Worry Monster symbolizes anxiety, which is what the book is centered around. Second, the author used the writing craft technique of reassurance. An example of this writing craft from this book is when the author gave examples of tools and methods to use when children are feeling anxious, and the tone used as well. The author portrayed anti-bias perspectives in this book by not just using this book for children, but also for older readers.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle

Join the loveable worry monster as he works through his worries about the upcoming class field trip. With the help of his teacher, the worry monster learns seven Mindful Monster Moves. These include simple strategies such as stretching, taking deep breaths, and focusing on your senses.

A cute story that nicely blends plot and instruction. The story is engaging and relatable, and I loved the worry monsters as a character. The book provides a wonderful opportunity for readers to practice their Mindful Monster Moves when they aren't worried so they'll know just what to do when their worries start to spiral.

The artwork is absolutely adorable. Humorous and colorful, each page wonderfully depicts the information presented in a fun and engaging way. At the back is an illustrated list of all seven Mindful Monster Moves for easy reference.

An engaging way to teach strategies to manage worry and a great reference for when worries start to get out of control.

[Kelly {SpaceOnTheBookcase] · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Worry Monster is filled with anxiety about his upcoming field trip and using seven mindfulness techniques he is able to calm himself down. These mindfulness tricks, even though this book is aimed at young readers, are often used by my teenage daughter when she is felling overwhelmed. I like that each area ends with a question to engage young readers and the reinforcement that it's okay to have big feelings, but it's equally important to know how to calm those "what if" thoughts. This is a book every child and classroom should have.

Thank you Random House Kids for the gifted copy.

[Charlotte Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Year 1 good reads.
I loved this book! It’s about a friendly monster who helps children with their worries. When you tell the Worry Monster what’s bothering you, he eats the worries up so you can feel better.
The story is fun and comforting, and the pictures are bright and cheerful. I liked how it shows that everyone worries sometimes, and talking about it really helps.
I think this book is great for children who sometimes feel nervous or scared, it reminds you that you’re not alone and that worries don’t last forever.

[Thomas Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book. Definitely written by a psychologist, and aimed at kids who struggle with anxiety. The teaching aspect of the book is great.

But the story itself isn't great - it's almost nonexistent. So I have a hard time seeing this wonderful message actually reach the kids it's intended for.

[Abby Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! This picture book helps children understand and handle their worries. It uses fun “mindful moves” like deep breathing, stretching, and gratitude to calm the “worry monster” inside. I like how the language is approachable and the illustrations show kids in real-life worry situations.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author offers seven steps for calming worry and anxiety for younger readers. The Worry Monster is a real part of each of us and I loved how she showed the various classmates as their own monsters. A good family read to help children cope with problems.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone who has a worried little monster at home and needs to learn a few tips to help themselves feel less worried. The illustrations are adorable and it’s very kid friendly. 😉

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book comes 'worry warrior' (someone who is known to worry more than her share) approved. The instructions and pictures for the techniques are fun to follow along with - and monster's worries are legit...but so are the coping strategies.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

really cute and accessible. a very approachable and useful book to have in the libraries (home, school, ...)

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
A good introduction and solutions for calming anxiety in children

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated and cute book for kids on tacking anxiety.

[Theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, creative, and great book for people with anxiety!

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elementary and up book about a monster with lots of worries about an upcoming school trip with easy to follow steps to help the anxiety.

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

solid but boring

[Carly Towles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the realness of this book! This is a real thing that children go through and it gives them great coping skills. This is an amazing good for every kids to read.