Book Review: Is A Worry Worrying You? by Ferida Wolff, Harriet May Savitz, Marie LeTourneau

Is A Worry Worrying You? is a picturebook by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz, with illustrations by Marie LeTourneau. The book address the worries of children with imaginative and sometimes very silly situations while offering solutions. The book speaks for itself quite well with: “A worry is a thought that stops your from having fun, from feeling good, from being happy. Don’t bother looking for a worry because you’ll never find it. It is invisible. But it seems very real.” Followed by the introduction of worries, but realistic and wacky, solutions to facing and overcome worries are offered.

Is A Worry Worrying You? is a fun and useful book. Some children are natural worriers, and other are bothered by just a few very specific fears. Regardless of the type of worry, everyone has some that they have to deal with. This book deals with how worries come to be, how they make you feel, and how to overcome them. Despite some of the more ridiculous worries, like having elephants over for tea and being out of some essentials, at no point is the book condescending or talking down to readers of any age. Worries are dealt with in a respectful and meaningful way that offers understanding and coping methods.

While neither of my kids are serious worriers, I full intend to bring out Is A Worry Worrying You? the next time the possibility of shots at the doctor, the idea of monsters in the dark, or other worry makes itself known. Acknowledging the presence of worries and the very real emotions they inspire make the coping methods and solutions offered much more useable and accepted by everyone.