Ruby Finds a Worry

My favorite part in this very cute story is that little Ruby looks outside herself and sees someone else who is unhappy. When she asks him about his sadness she gets an opportunity to talk about her worry which helps her to find happiness again.

This story captures in a sincere way a child's first experience with a worry. I love how it presents the worry in a physical way because this will help children understand what it means to worry. The book offers an insightful tale into how a worry grows, starts to detract from joy, and can best be addressed.

I LOVE this book for its simplicity in demonstrating the power of voicing a worry, helping kids learn about and increase their emotional regulation. The portrayal of the Worry and adjoining illustrations perfectly convey the relatable feeling we've all encountered. My only wish would be for the story to keep going a little longer and flesh out productive ways to talk about worries (like the importance of listening to another's worry, which this book touches on, whether or not you should try to "fix" their worry, etc.). As a fellow worrier myself, my worries don't diminish simply by talking about them, like this book suggests, but talking about them is a great first step and introduction for little ones.