DubaiReader

This book, first published in 2005, is an excellent starting point for discussing the issue of worry with young children. Aimed at ages 4 to 6+, many children may have worries that bother them, but that they can't quite identify. As with many childhood skills, the earlier they learn to identify and control worries, the better they are going to be able to cope as they get older.

In the book's illustrations, Worry is represented by a large monster who hovers wherever there is an opportunity for worrying. Some of the scenarios are possible and some are not. For example, one hundred elephants call for tea and you have no tea bags. Don't worry, offer them lemonade instead!

The author provides symptoms of worry to help a child identify that they are actually worried, such as feeling tired, suffering stomachache or nausea.
She helps a child to believe that there may be a solution and not to panic, and advises that a worry will stay as long as you let it.
Most of the time something you worry about never happens, but worries can get even bigger, the more you worry.
Then she suggests how a child can help themselves: think or do something else, put it to the back of your mind or share it with a friend, rationalise it.

While I think this type of book serves a very useful purpose, I'm a bit baffled by the examples of worries that it gives and why it mixes totally impossible scenarios with realistic ones. There's also an example of worrying about the first day at school, and the suggested solution is to take a gift for the teacher, I'm not sure that would still be considered PC.

Most importantly, this is a book to be shared with an adult and discussed, worries brought out into the open and solved. If it helps even just a few children then it will have been well worthwhile.
Highly recommended for parents and primary schools.