Inside: A thoughtful collection of worry books for kids – fabulous for children managing worries and anxious thoughts.
All kids worry at least some of the time, and some children struggle with anxious feelings on a regular basis. This collection of worry books for kids features titles that can be used by teachers and parents to open discussion with children about feeling worried and managing anxious thoughts
Helpfully, many of the books also introduce child appropriate coping skills to help children learn positive strategies for calming their nerves when worried or anxious. This list is a great partner to our list of 21 books about emotions for kids.
25 Worry Books for Kids Feeling Scared, Worried or Anxious
Each title below is linked to both Amazon and The Book Depository (these are affiliate links) where you can find reviews and age recommendations for those you are not personally familiar with
 Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival: Ruby loves being Ruby. And then one day she discovers a worry. Just a small worry. But when the worry starts to grow it just won’t leave her alone. A wonderful lesson in the importance of talking to others about our worries.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 When I’m Feeling Nervous by Trace Moroney: Feeling nervous is uncomfortable but it can also mean that you’re about to do something really, really brave! What do you do when you feel nervous? A useful tool for helping young children develop increased confidence, optimism and hopefulness.Available: The Book Depository |
 What’s Worrying You? by Molly Potter: Exploring different scenarios that might make a child worry, this handy kids worry book includes helpful guidance about how worrying might make them feel, what they might be thinking, and what could help them to feel better.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 How Big Are Your Worries Little Bear? by Jayneen Sanders: Little Bear is a worrier. He worries about simply everything! But with Mama Bear’s help, he learns some helpful coping skills and soon realises that his worries are not so big after all.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Worries Are Like Clouds by Shona Innes: Worries are like clouds that float in and take the shine out of our day. Moving worries away can make even the toughest day feel a little better. Part of a lovely book series exploring emotive, everyday issues that all children faceAvailable: The Book Depository |
 The Don’t Worry Book by Todd Parr: Worried about the dark, the news or a big day at school? With simple prose and bright illustrations, Parr offers solutions and comforts for children who worry.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Put Your Worries Away by Gill Hasson: A helpful book for school age children feeling anxious, nervous, or fearful. Includes explanations of how our bodies respond to worries and clearly explains a range of calm down strategies.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 A Little Spot of Anxiety: A Story About Calming Your Worries by Diane Alber: A great resource for explaining Available: Amazon |
 The Worry Box by Suzanne Chiew: Murray Bear is going to visit a waterfall with his sister, Molly, but Murray is worried! So Molly tells him about her special worry box. “When I’m worried about something,” she says, “I write it down, then put it inside.” She offers to help make one for Murray-but will it really help?Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Hey Warrior by Karen Young: An insightful book that helps children to understand how and why our brains and bodies respond to anxiety, thus empowering them with knowledge of what is happening and how they can manage anxious thoughts and worries.Available: The Book Depository |
 When Worry Takes Hold by Liz Haske: When Worry sneaks into Maya’s mind one night after lights out, she finds it difficult to rid herself of it. It follows her everywhere and leaves no space for anything else. Then Maya learns the power of Courage in the form of a calming breath and in the process she breaks free from Worry’s hold.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Mr Huff by Anna Walker: Bill is having a bad day. Mr Huff is following him around and making everything seem so much worse. Bill tries to get rid of him but Mr Huff just gets bigger and bigger, and he just won’t go away. Can Bill ever be rid of this grey cloud hanging over his head?Available: The Book Depository |
 Worry Says What? by Allison Edwards: Worry Says What? can help children (and adults) flip their thinking when anxious thoughts begin, and turn them into powerful reminders of all they are capable of accomplishing.Available: Amazon |
 Me and My Fear by Francesca Sanna: A beautiful story exploring how overwhelming fear can become, especially as we face new situations in our lives – in the case of the girl in the story, moving to a new country and starting school there. Includes special reminders that fear can be helpful, that we can learn to manage our fears, and that we ALL carry fear within us.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde: A thoughtful book that offers children a series of simple strategies for managing times of worry.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Worries Go Away! by Kes Gray: A simple story about facing worries, suitable for younger children. Told through engaging rhyme, this book emphasises the importance of turning to people who care when you feel worried.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Is A Worry Worrying You? by Ferida Wolff: I really like this book although it might be a little dark for very young children strugging with anxiety. It talks about worries with humour and imagination and includes a number of strategies for helping manage worries. A great tool for opening discussion about worries with children in the first grades of primary/elementary school.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 It’s Okay to Make Mistakes by Todd Parr: In his original, creative style, Todd Parr reinforces the importance of taking chances, trying new things, and embracing life, mistakes and all -all things that many children who worry struggle to do!Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
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 Jack’s Worry by Sam Zuppardi: This book takes a common worry for children, performing in their first concert experience, and explores worry around the upcoming event through simple story and lovely illustrations.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 The Huge Bag of Worries by Virginia Ironside: I want to love this book, it has so many great messages in it and it’s a great introduction to worries for younger children but I don’t particularly like that the first worry mentioned in the book was “She worried that she was getting too fat.” We try not to focus on physical appearance with our girls, especially not weight. The book does however offer an engaging introduction to worries for young children as Jenny tries different strategies in an attempt to rid herself of the big bag of worries she carries around each day.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 The Worry Monsters (Hey Jack! series) by Sally Rippin: Part of the Hey Jack! chapter book series for early readers, The Worry Monsters tells the story of what happens when Jack doesn’t want to study for his spelling test – because he hates spelling! Touches on a sore tummy as a symptom of worrying and Jack also imagines his worries as monsters at bedtime, the story turns when Jack confides his worries to his Dad who helps him find a solution, also Jack talks back to his worries as he won’t let them worry him any more.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 What to Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner: This book is my favourite on the list. It was a great resource for my eight year old, and I could see it being helpful for 6-7 year olds through to 11-12 year olds. It talks clearly about what worries are, how they make you feel and clearly explains a range of options for managing worries – from using logic to talking back to worries (self talk), and physical activity to relaxation.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 A Smart Girl’s Guide to Worry: How to Feel Less Stressed and Have More Fun by Nancy Holyoak: Part of American Girl’s Smart Girls series, this book shares lots of information about worries and anxiety in bite sized pieces just right for tweens. With sections covering symptoms of stress, self talk, perfection, facing fears, self care and managing stress and anxiety, it’s a really helpful resource for children aged 9+ who are experiencing worry or anxiety.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 No Worries by Mindful Kids: Includes encouraging activities and simple exercises to help kids tackle anxiety, sadness and stress, as they use creativity to combat negative feelings, work out why they feel worried and how to put stress back in its place through writing, colouring, doodling and drawing.Available: Amazon | The Book Depository |
 Keep Your Cool: How to Deal With Life’s Worries and Stress by Dr Aaron Balick: A very detailed books for older tweens and teen, it covers a wide range of topics that might cause stress or anxiety including family problems, school issues, friendship problems, bullies, sexuality and cyber issues.Available: The Book Depository |
For more books that help children develop social and emotional learning, check out our great big list of Books That Help Develop Friendship, Communication and Social Skills.
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Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.
