Sometimes When I'm Worried

Children learn practical strategies for coping with worry and anxiety.

Gentle, supportive, and straightforward, Sometimes When I'm Worried describes a child's experience with worry and the many ways it can surface, as well as how her sister and their two dads help her cope with the feeling. "Sometimes when I'm worried, my tummy feels funny. I get hot and sweaty. My legs jiggle like jelly."

Along with the main character, young children learn ways to cope with worry, which can be a challenging emotion. "Daddy says, 'Sometimes when we're worried, it's hard to control our thoughts and feelings.' He says I might feel calmer if I find something I can control. He asks if I want to count to ten or do some belly breathing."

A special section for adults offers more information on how children of differing ages express worry and anxiety, and how to help children manage these feelings in healthy and empowering ways.

Sometimes When collection
With quiet, sensitive illustrations, the Sometimes When collection helps young children work through big feelings, such as sadness and anger. The stories are accessible to children and grounded in research from an author with over thirty years of experience as a clinical psychologist. A special section at the back of each book provides more information for adults and activities to help young children work through their feelings.

Author: Deborah Serani
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Published: 06/06/2023
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.74lbs
Size: 9.10h x 8.40w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9781631987373
Audience: Ages 4-8


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2023

About the Author
Deborah Serani, Psy.D., is an award-winning author and psychologist in practice for thirty years. She is also a professor at Adelphi University, and her writing on the subjects of depression and trauma has been published in academic journals. Dr. Serani is a go-to expert for psychological issues. Her interviews can be found in Newsday, Psychology Today, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The Associated Press, and affiliate radio programs at CBS and NPR, among others. She is also a TEDx speaker and has worked as a technical advisor for the NBC television show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She lives on Long Island, New York.

Kyra Teis is a children's book author-illustrator, a graphic novelist, and an avid sewer of costumes and clothing. She works in a cozy studio in central New York, which is crammed full of books and fabrics from all over the world. When she's not making art, you can find her and her husband cheering wildly at their two daughters' soccer games and musical theater productions.