Has school started where you are? Many schools near us start this week and our school begins after Labor Day. However, the teachers have been back for teacher training starting last week. Last week we had three days with experts in success counseling originally started by Dr. William Glasser and his choice therapy. It has been really interesting and was a tiring week. We literally were being taught to think and react in a different way. If you have time, check it out.
With the first day of school there is always some anxiety for students, teachers, and parents. Today I am sharing a new picture book that is meant to help children learn ways to deal with anxiety including the first day of school jitters. The book is The Worry Balloon by Mónica Mancillas and illustrated by Betty C. Tang. It is recommended for ages 4 to 8 but could be used with older children to help teach some techniques to help fight anxiety.
From the Publisher:
On the first day of school, Isla’s mind plays the what if game. Scary thoughts come, the world goes dark, and everything feels stormy. With Mami at her side, Isla takes a deep breath and blows her worries away in a big balloon. But as school gets closer, Isla’s worries come back like a tornado. Mami encourages her to imagine something happy, and Isla remembers there’s nothing she can’t handle.The storm might come again, but for now, her mind is quiet.
In this thoughtful and reassuring picture book, Mónica Mancillas’s text and Betty C. Tang’s illustrations show how one child experiences anxiety and worry, providing different tools to practice mindfulness and strengthen one’s mental health.
From Me:
As someone with anxiety and the mom of a child with anxiety, I love this book!! I love how it starts with Isla thinking about when she was young, she didn't have the same level of anxiety. With a tickle and a giggle everything was amazingly all right. As she gets older, she starts to worry about the unknown. She begins the what if... thinking. My house knows the what if... thinking well. I love how Isla's mother helps her deal with it. She encourages her to imagine the world in a more positive light because that is what you will get. She also says to imagine the worries in a balloon that she can blow away. The ideas are so simple but can be very effective.
The story is believable and very much like what happens for many kids each year (and possibly each day). I also love that Isla's culture is brought through with some Spanish words. The book is multicultural and full of different races in the illustrations. I also love how her mother gets Isla to realize the normalcy of her route when her anxieties are lowered.
At the end of the book there are pages with ideas of what kids can do when their anxieties are high. Some of the methods are regular ones but Mónica Mancillas adds creativity to them. I love the Hot Chocolate Breathing for taking deep breaths. This book is perfect for the first day of school for any child but also a great book for the very anxious child any day! I hope you will check it out!!
