12 Picture Books About Anxiety for Kids

The world can feel overwhelming or stressful for all of us, but especially for children. Picture books provide an excellent vehicle for processing anxiety, developing empathy, or gaining perspective on a situation. In fact, combining the perfect picture book with the voice and warm lap of a special adult, can be the perfect antidote for stress or anxiety for a child of any age.

Here are our pick of twelve awesome Picture Books about Anxiety to read with your kids!

12 Picture Books About Anxiety for Kids

Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival One day Ruby, a happy little girl, unexpectedly finds a worry. At first it’s very small, but it grows and grows. Suddenly her worry is enormous! How will she cope? When she meets a new friend who also knows a lot about worry, he helps her out. This book is part of the Big Bright Feelings series and will help you talk to your children about what to do when they’re worried or anxious. Available: Amazon  |  The Book Depository

For more books for kids who worry, check out our list of 25 Worry Books for Kids.

I Feel Anxious by DJ Corchin A lovely introduction to anxiety, helping children to recognise the many ways it can feel with suggestions for calming their fears and worries, and encouraging kids to voice how they feel. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Whatifs by Emily Kilgore Cora is constantly worrying about everything and because of this, the Whatifs love her. They sneak up to her and give her all kinds of doubts! As she prepares for an upcoming piano recital, the Whatifs cling tighter and make her anxious about messing up during the concert. Will she be able to change her worry-filled thoughts into hopeful ones? Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Catching Thoughts by Bonnie Clark For every child who has been weighed down by sadness or anxiety, this story teaches kids how to acknowledge unwanted thoughts, show them compassion and actively replace them with positive thoughts instead. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Lola’s Words Disappeared by Elaheh Bos When Lola starts school, all of her words suddenly disappear and don’t come back! After she finds some strategies for managing her anxiety, her words begin to reappear. Written for children with selective mutism, this book includes a useful activity guide as well. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

A Terrible Thing That Happened by Margaret M. Holmes Sherman Smith saw something awful happen. He tried to forget about it, but that didn’t work. Instead of forgetting, he thought about it even more as he got stomachaches and couldn’t sleep. Finally he talked to Ms. Maple, who helped him deal with the terrible thing and to feel much better. If your child is reluctant to talk to a counselor, this is a great book to share! Available: Amazon  |  The Book Depository

Small Knight and the Anxiety Monster by Manka Kasha When Small Knight feels pressure from their parents to be a perfect princess, an anxiety monster shows up. No one else can see the monster, so Small Knight and their best friend Tiny Bear, decide that it is up to them to save themselves. They set off on a magical quest, only to discover that the answer was inside themselves all along. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Too Many Bubbles by Christine Peck & Mags Deroma Izzy has a problem. Something is casting a shadow over her day…it’s a bubble. One little grumpy thought bubble that just won’t go away. It follows Izzy everywhere, until…another pops up. And another. Can Izzy figure out what to do about the bubbles-before they completely take over everything? Available:  Amazon | The Book Depository

Hey Warrior by Karen Young An exceptional explanation of how anxiety happens and effects the body, in a way that anyone, even an anxious kid, can understand. On top of explaining what is happening, it also includes excellent suggestions on how to cope with anxiety, and the reasons why they work. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

A Little Spot of Anxiety by Diane Alber A great tool for reminding children that anxiety can affect people all ages and how it can show up in all different situations. The Gray spot in the story creates a visual representation of anxiety so that a child can see when it’s gets too big, and how to shrink it back down. Available: Amazon

Find Your Calm by Gabi Garcia A wonderful book for teaching children how to tap into their sense of safety when anxiety sends a false alarm, so they can restore their own, inner calm. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Mr. Worry: A Story About OCD by Holly Niner  Eight-year-old Kevin just wants to go to sleep like other boys and girls. Unfortunately, Kevin is compelled to check and recheck things, and endlessly repeat actions. Unless he does these things, he’s plagued with anxiety. What to do? Kevin begins to feel much better when his teacher gives him strategies for managing his anxiety. Share this story to help manage an obsessive compulsive disorder diagnosis or help your children empathize with those who have OCD. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

These Picture Books about Anxiety are perfect for starting healthy discussions about mental health read aloud in your classroom or home. Which will you read first?