Worried Whippet: A Book of Bravery - For Kids (and Adults) Struggling with Anxiety

by Jess Bolton

There's so much to be anxious about in this meeting new people, unfamiliar sounds, and worst of all, the seagulls that try to steal your chips. Worried Whippet counters that anxiety with humor and heartfelt inspiration. Worried Whippet is a whimsically illustrated book that inspires you to take a cue from one anxious little dog, to muster up your courage, and step out into the world with hope. Follow along as one fearful little whippet named Jess, made popular on TikTok and Instagram, journeys out of her cozy bed to join her friends and conquer all the things that scare her most. In these pages, you fill This is a fantastic gift to give for graduations, birthdays, holidays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, National Dog Day, National Brave Day, pet adoptions, as a gift of encouragement, or for anyone who loves dogs. Keep Calm and Whippet On.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fiction, Animals, Childrens, Mental Health, Self Help, Dogs

128 pages, Hardcover

Published September 5, 2023

Reviews

[Tawfek · Rating 5 out of 5]

- I wonder who my friends will be.
- The friends you start out with aren't always the ones you end up with, you get to choose.
- But who should i choose?
- whoever makes you feel good! and whoever gives the best hugs.

I received an ARC for this graphic novel via NetGalley, Thanks to The creative team, Harper Collins, And most of all thanks to Worried Whippet! For this opportunity.
This will come out 5th of September of 2023, I am making reminders on my phone calendar for all these ARCs btw, to remind everyone when they officially come out by sharing the review again, for the entire day!

This is a graphic novel of short stories, or rather scenes, from the life of Worried Whippet.

Someone needs to hire this dogo, as a dog Pajama model, if they didn't already!
I related to the description about the anxiety on NetGalley, so i applied for this, But when i got it and read the Goodreads description and found he has a Tiktok channel! i went and google worried whippet and i fell in love with him.

It's exhausting to always be so full of feelings, especially when they're so big and you're so small.

I recommend this to all dog lovers, all people who dealt with social anxiety, or are dealing with it now, it's so light a read, that it will lift your soul right up, you will relate to Jess the worried whippet, you will draw parallels between your anxiety and his, and you might glean some comforts from his journey, things that others might say more aggressively to you, or be said as advices in time you can't really see a way out, Jess is your friend, but be careful he sometimes gets confused between food and friends!

Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between friends and food.

Not everyone's gonna like you, just focus on the one's who do!

This was a dogilicious read (i just invented this word) It was crazy, how i kept relating to Jess, which makes me 99% sure i might be a worried whippet in my next life, But you know what! that's not a bad thing at all! He eats blue berries and makes friends with them! and he has awesome pajamas! No one asks him to not wear them outside too!

For me this was not written by a human, this was written by Jess the worried whippet, and i say that in the best intention ever, i would like if someone said that when i am writing the thoughts and adventures of my dog too!
Even though this tackles anxiety and social anxiety, i think kids will love it too, because what we see as an anxious dog and might relate with him, kids might see as a shy dog or something else and it would be funny.

Jess says Home is where your humans are, Or as Arabian Juha says, Home is where my wife is!

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 4 out of 5]

A supersweet extended picturebook (is that a thing?) about an anxious dog called Jesse, slowly learning to accept other dogs and the world in general.

The illustrations are lovely, the story is nothing earthshattering, but it is everything nice.

(Thanks to Harper Celebrate for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley)

[Caroline Porritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars are not enough. From the owner of a very worried whippet.

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book while at a thrift store in Phoenix. Really a great book. About a nervous Whippet and a great book to share with someone with a shy dog. Nice pictures. I wouldn't mind having the book but didn't want another to put in the suitcase to take back.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a person with some anxiety issues of her own and a huge love for dogs, I was excited to read Worried Whippet. It definitely features the cutest characters ever and I found the overall story and sentiments very sweet. I like that it is specifically marketed towards adults AND kids - adults need some lighthearted, moving stories too now and then, and the chokehold K. O'Neill's Tea Dragon Society-series has on me is strong and firm, even though it's officially middle grade fiction.

I still feel like Worried Whippet is much better suited for younger readers. I absolutely can't speak for everyone who suffers from an anxiety disorder and am genuinely glad for everyone who has found strength in the pages of Worried Whippet. To me personally, it read like a lot of platitudes that people with anxiety hear often. "What if people don't like me?" - "Well, they don't matter then!" Yeah, well, thanks lol
Likewise, the moral of the story didn't sit right with me: Whippet befriends a very outgoing dog who shows him that the things he finds scary actually aren't. It feels like the book's advice is "meet an extroverted friend and they'll make you better", which isn't how it works. I may read too much into it and I want to say that I don't believe you should be on your own with your issues - but I also believe our friends are neither qualified to teach us how to manage our illness, nor should they have to adopt that role.
Also, small tangent, my copy's quality was atrocious. I don't know if there was something wrong with the NetGalley app, but the images were so badly pixelated that it was impossible for me to appreciate how prettily they might have been drawn.

Worried Whippet is a very short and sweet picture book that you might like a lot if you love dogs and need some words of comfort. For me, it veered too much into old platitudes-territory to fully adore it, but I still found it very very sweet and was fully rooting for Whippet. Give it a go if such a lighthearted, comforting read seems like something you need right now!

- ARC provided by NetGalley -

[cloudybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gem of a book with beautiful illustrations. I identified so much with the whippet and her views of the big, scary world. But, as Jess shows us, we can learn to navigate difficult situations. Guided by the cutest whippet, I enjoyed the stories tremendously.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for an advance copy. I will be buying my own!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Home is where your human is.

Incredibly cute picture book. A dog version of the sad ghost club.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

Very cute, the message is great and I think this can facilitate discussions and conversations around anxiety and mental health very easily. The illustrations just make it more approachable.

[Jenn Viner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I once made friends with a blueberry.

[Brooke Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

5/5 stars
Worried Whippet is a beautiful illustrated story about a very nervous whippet. Whippets are such elegant and expressive dogs, I have 3, that Jess is the perfect main character. I love how there are so many talking points for teachable moments with children, so my preschooler loved this story, too. Worried Whippet will warm your heart!

[Elena Albu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super sweet illustrated book about the adventures of a worried whippet. It teaches us that we can navigate all life’s challenges with a little bit of help from friends and positive thoughts.
A kids book from which adults have much to learn.

[Eryn Genova · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a truly lovely illustration of how different bravery can be for everyone. I loved it so much and absolutely cried the first time I read it.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful, the story and the illustrations. Cried the whole way through and it warmed my heart. I know I’ll keep this for life.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not expect to get misty with this one, but she's just such a brave wee whippet

[Tracy Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a beautiful book with wonderful artwork. This book is a great leveller when anxiety strikes. Sometimes bravery is possible even when you don't feel brave at all and you're still wearing your pj's! .

[Archie Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

My last friend was a blueberry

[Cado Baneith · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute and touching, everyone deserves to see it at least once. It’s like a book where I forget everything after I read it, but once I open it again, I feel so comfortable.

[Rosun Rajkumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about an Anxious dog. Are you kidding me?

I love books which are for children and adults love them.

So many wonderful life lessons. Such beautiful quotes.

I won't hate on instagram for once for bringing this book to me.

[Haley Kilgour · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very very cute book with lots of heart and an inspiring message.

My only thing is that I can’t tell if this is for adults or children.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not crying, you’re crying. 🥹

“‘Wow, you’re so fast! Aren’t you scared?’ ‘I left my worries back there somewhere! I’m running so fast, I can’t even remember what I was worried about!’” 💕💕💕

If ever you were going to write a book about anxiety and use an animal, a whippet (or even one of my greyhounds) is the perfect choice! They’re afraid of EVERYTHING, bless their hearts.

Worried Whippet is an illustrated book about an anxious little dog who is afraid of chip stealing seagulls, sand that moves under your feet, and all manner of weather. But with the help, love, and encouragement of a puppy friend and her humans, she musters up the strength to live her best life. She gets outside, eats some snow, and finds her own way to happiness.

Oh my what a heartfelt story. And the illustrations?! Come on. Literal perfection. Yes we dress our greyhounds because they have no body fat and get cold. So if you want to see a book with a worried little whippet in pink pajamas facing her fears, please please pick this one up for yourself or any anxious person in your life. I can see all ages enjoying this precious story.

Thank you to @netgalley, @harpercollinsfocus, and @human.Jess for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Izzy]

5 stars
Thank you NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Adorable drawings. Great message. Very sweet story. Really cute picture book. Simple sentences, so easy quick read. No out of place paragraphs or anything. I like the character development of the main character.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Instagram led me to this book. It’s a sweet little tale about an anxious pup facing fears in the world.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's exhausting to always be so full of feelings, especially when they're so big and you're so small." So says Jess the whippet, who gets the tremblies unaccountably, loves a duvet day, and frets about this, that and the other. When a new friend is thrust into the household, in the shape of a comparative daredevil of a dog, she's forced to learn much about actually making friends, and about herself.

This is mostly very concise writing, with many pictures, which are delightful and well-crafted. As for the text, it does what it needs to in conveying character, and the simple bits of plot, but this is more or less a comic book having put on some airs. And a webcomic, more or less, from what I read about it. Oddly the text is all over the shop, often – but not always – putting Jess's lines of dialogue in the right-justified position, suitably meekly; at least twice it does a bonkers drop for no reason from the first person to the third. That aside the book is certainly pleasant enough to read, and very pertinent for many – it's obvious a lot of this is transferable from the world and opinions of the whippet to the reader.

Going into this blind, it feels a little unusual – I guess it is mostly destined to be selected by those who know the titular dog from some online presence or other – and it's a bit awkward for it to never reference the fact Jess and her humans speak the exact same level of English. But I think this is safely recommended – although my recommendation would be for any future books to give credit where the true credit is due, and have the illustrator equal billing with the author.

[Malli (Chapter Malliumpkin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley & Harper Celebrate.
Release Date: September 5th, 2023

Content/Trigger Warnings: Depictions of anxiety, brief depictions of grief

This was a really wholesome book of a Whippet who struggles with anxiety and how they navigate life despite anxiety. I really loved this and thought it was really precious. If you struggle with anxiety and read this book, there's no doubt you'll be able to relate to something in this book or have similar conversations with people. I think the part that hit close to home for me was the social anxiety and trying to make friends, and how hard yet scary it can be sometimes. However, this is definitely reads like it geared more towards children who are trying to navigate anxiety. So despite this saying it's for adults and kids, it should be more marketed towards children due to the way some of the conversations turn out. I did enjoy the art style of the pictures. It almost gave a vintage vibe the way each page is designed. Overall, this is a very cute, wholesome read for kids who are trying to navigate anxiety and I think this book can spark many great conversations with children and their parents surrounding anxiety.

All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.


Instagram|Ko-fi|Throne

[Mary Ellen Coogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beautiful illustrations of a dog named Jess perfectly capture “worried dog eyes” and, combined with charming text, provide inspiration to all of us on the struggle bus, The book contains words of encouragement to help Jess overcome fear-based problems like reluctance to trust, making incorrect snap judgements, lack of self-confidence, fear of monsters, and other anxieties. Adventures take him from small, isolated, retracted spaces, to lovely, open beaches full of potential for growth and joy. Jess has adventures that make him braver. From safe havens like Jess’s friendship with Buddy and his home base of consistent and loving human care, which includes well-timed treats, Jess learns to have empathy for others. He learns to question his limited interior world, full of wrong first impressions and scary imaginings, like one involving a hungry seagull who, in reality, isn’t going to attack him, but just wants a treat too. Jess learns to trust enough to invite others into his small world, which expands after first considering, then trusting, the perspective of others. His eyes look happier, his body more free, with each courageous step he makes. This delightful book will resonate with anyone looking for inspiration to be braver every day. I’m so glad to have read this - So cute and helpful!

[Lunelith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Celebrate for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Even though Jess might be a small whippet, this felt so relatable and familiar, and you certainly don’t need to be a dog lover or even have one to appreciate the message. This story represents issues such as lack of self-confidence, anxiety and social fears, and it does so through the eyes of a little dog in a big world, so the image you get is the purest and simplest depiction of what’s it’s like to constantly worry about your surroundings. But as Buddy teaches: face your fears one at a time. Keep trying.

"It’s exhausting to always be so full of feelings"

The illustrations are adorable and heartwarming and give a sense a cozyness that fits the story really well. A quick and sweet read perfect for every age.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cutest little book that was gifted to one of my fur babies, Rambo, who is in the cousin family of Jess, the whippet. He's an Italian greyhound!

Is it weird to say that Rambo and I sat on the couch with this book together? Lol.

Worried Whippet is exactly like Rambo. Always cautious and scared of things but also wants to make friends and be brave! I adopted Rambo at the Gulf Coast Humane Society in Corpus Christi, Texas, when he was a little over 2 years old, and now he's going to be 11 this December!

Rambo has helped me so much with my mental health over the years, much like worried whippet with her human. I like to joke that we have anxiety together, lol.

So here's to Rambo and all of our fur babies that have heard our secrets, licked our tears, cuddled with us when we needed comfort, got us out of bed when we thought we couldn't, and love us unconditionally! 💛🐾

[Bailey Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worried Whippet: A Book Of Bravery is a lovely, relatable, lesson-filled, and heart-warming story! This book is a mix between a chapter book, comic book, and graphic novel. Even more unique is the universality of this book. It is recommended for individuals of any age due to its focus on mental health and finding every day bravery. I couldn't agree more that this is a book for everyone. I love this book!

Sensitively, this book highlights challenging emotions and pervasive fears. The worried whippet is the precious spokes dog for self-honesty, self-compassion, and celebrating small victories. With the help of a new friend he realizes learns to accept that sometimes he is brave and sometimes he is scared. Both feelings are completely okay. As he navigates challenging situations from new social situations to unexpected moves he learns to cope with his anxieties. I love this book!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another day with another lovable book featuring a precious pup!

Meet Jess, a small whippet with big worries. It seems that everything gives her a fright, she just can’t seem to help it. Her worries often feel so big for such a small dog. Luckily she has very loving parents and a very caring friend to help her along the way.

This is such a charming book that is just perfect for my son! It has mini stories about Jess taking small steps in bravery that are broken up into chapters, which make my son (who is still gaining his confidence in reading) really excited to be able to finish such a long book. Dog lovers near and far will adore Jess and her stories. She is a wonderful example about experiencing fear and anxiety but also being brave even in small ways. The illustrations are darling and give off a vintage feel which makes this book a timeless treasure.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and quick little read about a puppy named Jess who is anxious about the outside world. When Jess finds her first friend, she conquers her daily challenge of being less afraid of the world that's waiting for her.

This was simple and cute. I would find it very hard to find something wrong. I did think this was going to be a different kind of graphic novel but that was on me and doesn't reflect the book's quality overall.

Thank you NetGalley & Harper Celebrate for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.