When your child is dealing with anxiety, worries or fears, having a way to open up conversation in an age-appropriate way can be a real help. Sitting down together with a book gives you that chance, and you’d be amazed at how even the simplest story can hit the mark. These books for anxious kids range from picture books for younger children through to workbooks that older kids can work through independently.
Use these stories and books as conversation starters. Talk about the characters or the theme, try the activities together, and give your child space to process how they’re feeling. From experience, it can take a few readings — and the same conversation repeated a couple of times — before it really “clicks”. Even once you’ve moved past reading together, your child may like to revisit a favourite one on their own whenever the need arises.
Anxiety in children can show up in all sorts of ways — difficulty sleeping, aches and pains, an upset stomach, acting out, unexplained tears, nightmares, separation anxiety, or another change in behaviour. It’s worth remembering that your child, even an older one, may not yet have the words to explain how they’re feeling, so a story can do a lot of the talking for them.
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Helpful Books for Anxious Kids
Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Poppy O’Neill
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Don’t Worry, Be Happy is a practical guide that combines cognitive-behavioural therapy methods used by child psychologists in schools with simple activities to help your child deal with feeling anxious. It’s aimed at children aged 7–11, because a lot happens in these years that can shape a child’s emotional wellbeing, not just now but for years to come.
Your child will be guided, with the help of Fiz — a friendly and supportive character they can identify with — through fun and engaging activities interspersed with useful tips, encouraging statements and practical information for parents.
What to Do When You Worry Too Much
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What to Do When You Worry Too Much is an interactive self-help book designed to guide 6–12 year olds and their parents through the cognitive-behavioural techniques most often used to help with generalised anxiety.
Engaging, encouraging and easy to follow, this is one of the most popular books for anxious kids, and it works to educate, motivate and empower children to work towards change.
Find Your Calm by Gabi Garcia
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Find Your Calm is a wonderfully accessible book that teaches children how to tap into their sense of safety when anxiety sends a false alarm, so they can find their calm. It includes simple grounding activities and coping tools for them to practise, and your child can follow along as the young narrator works through strategies that keep anxiety from taking over.
Parents and educators can find free downloadable resources to accompany this book at gabigarciabooks.com.
My Monster and Me by Nadiya Hussain
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My Monster and Me is a touching story about a little boy whose worry monster follows him everywhere he goes. It’s there when he gets dressed, when he wants to play with his toys, and even when his friends come over to visit. How can he escape his worries?
Having lived with panic disorder herself for as long as she can remember, Great British Bake Off winner and author Nadiya Hussain wrote this heartfelt story to give children and parents the tools they need to talk about worries and anxiety, so no child suffers in silence.
The Worrysaurus by Rachel Bright
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The Worrysaurus is a fun and reassuring tale about dealing with worries, from the author of the bestselling The Lion Inside.
It’s a beautiful day and Worrysaurus has planned a special picnic. But it isn’t long before a small butterfly of worry starts fluttering in his tummy. What if he hasn’t brought enough to eat? What if he gets lost? What if he trips and falls? What if it rains? Can Worrysaurus find a way to chase his fears away and enjoy the moment?
This is the perfect book to help every anxious little dinosaur let go of their fears and feel happy in the present.
Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival
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Ruby loves being Ruby. Until, one day, she finds a worry. At first it’s not such a big worry, and that’s all right — but then it starts to grow. It gets bigger and bigger every day, and it makes Ruby sad. How can Ruby get rid of it and feel like herself again?
Ruby’s Worry is a perceptive and poignant story that belongs on every child’s bookshelf. From Tom Percival’s bestselling Big Bright Feelings series, it’s a wonderful way to discuss childhood worries and anxieties, no matter how big or small they may be.
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
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With more than half a million copies sold, The Invisible String is one of the most popular books for anxious kids. Parents, educators, therapists and social workers alike have found it a wonderful tool for coping with separation anxiety, loss and grief.
In this relatable and reassuring story, a mother tells her two children that they’re all connected by an invisible string. “That’s impossible!” the children insist, but still they want to know more: “What kind of string?” The answer is the simple truth that binds us all: An Invisible String made of love. Even though you can’t see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love. Does everybody have an Invisible String? How far does it reach? Does it ever go away? This heartwarming picture book explores the intangible yet unbreakable connections between us, and opens up deeper conversations about love.
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The Huge Bag of Worries by Virginia Ironside
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Wherever Jenny goes, her worries follow her — in a big blue bag. They’re with her all the time: at school, at home, watching TV, even in the bathroom! Jenny decides they have to go, but who will help her get rid of them?
The Huge Bag of Worries is a funny and reassuring look at dealing with worries and anxiety, and a great springboard into important conversations with your child.
A Smart Girl’s Guide to Worry
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Every girl worries from time to time. Maybe it’s an argument with a friend, a big test, or a performance in front of a crowd. Maybe it’s her body. Maybe it’s something fun, like a slumber party, or something bigger, like moving house or a parents’ separation.
For many girls, even small worries can take on a life of their own and get in the way of enjoying life. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Worry helps readers take charge of their worries, with tried-and-true ways to overcome fears and create a sense of calm. There are quizzes to help girls find out more about what concerns them, plus advice from real girls who found their own ways to cope. The book is packed with proven techniques for handling worry and building confidence.
It’s part of the American Girl series, which covers a wide range of topics including emotions, friendship troubles and body changes.
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The Worries: Sohal Finds a Friend by Jion Sheibani
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Sohal worries about a lot of things: the dark, mutant sheep, being alone — you name it, he worries about it! So one night he tries drawing his worries to make himself feel better, and somehow they look a lot less worrying once they’re scribbled down. Then imagine Sohal’s surprise when he wakes up the next morning to find a set of funny, furry friends at the end of his bed!
His worries have come to life, and it’s not long before Hurt, Fail, Anger, Big and Alone have turned his world upside down. Now it’s up to Sohal to work out how to keep his worries under control — and have some fun while he’s at it!
The Worries is a hilarious, highly illustrated series, perfect for helping children gently work through their worries while having fun.
Help Your Dragon Deal with Anxiety by Steve Herman
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Having a pet dragon is great fun! He can sit, roll over and play. He can light candles on a birthday cake or a campfire, and do so many other cool things. But what if your dragon is constantly worrying about everything?
What if he’s worried about his maths test even though he’s studied hard? What if he’s nervous about a book report in front of the class? What if he gets anxious about a trip to the doctor? What if your dragon is always asking “What if…”?
Help Your Dragon Deal with Anxiety is part of the extensive Dragon series dealing with emotions, feelings and social situations.
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Anxious Ninja by Mary Nhin
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Life is hard — and it’s even harder for children who are just trying to figure things out. In Anxious Ninja, the character experiences difficult emotions that create a kind of temporary freeze, until a friend shares some tips on how to handle anxiety.
Part of the Ninja Life Hacks series, developed to help children learn valuable life skills, this book’s pint-size characters are fun for young readers yet witty enough for adults too.
No Worries! by Dr Sharie Coombes
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No Worries! is an interactive self-care activity book for children aged 7+, to colour and doodle their way to happiness, calm and confidence.
The encouraging, simple activities tackle anxiety, sadness and stress. Children will enjoy using their creativity to combat negative feelings, work out why they feel worried, and put stress back in its place through writing, colouring, doodling and drawing. Quirky pictures keep kids entertained and focused as they work through the book, or it can simply be dipped into for ten minutes of calming colouring.
Everybody Worries by Jon Burgerman
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Everybody Worries is a reassuring and practical picture book that combines helpful tips endorsed by clinical psychologists with fun rhyming couplets and colourful pictures, helping children open up about their feelings and get their anxiety under control.
It’s a lovely book for soothing worries in young children, and a great springboard into important conversations with your child.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can books help an anxious child?
Books give children a safe distance from their own worries. Seeing a character go through similar feelings — and find their way through them — makes it easier for a child to open up about what’s going on for them, rather than being asked to explain their anxiety directly.
What age are these books suitable for?
It varies by book. Picture books like The Worrysaurus, Ruby’s Worry and The Invisible String suit younger children, while workbooks such as What to Do When You Worry Too Much, A Smart Girl’s Guide to Worry and No Worries! are built for children aged 7 and up, often to be worked through with a parent.
How do I choose the right book for my child’s worries?
Think about what’s triggering the anxiety. A book about separation (like The Invisible String) suits a child anxious about being apart from you, while a workbook with CBT-based activities suits a child who worries about lots of different things and needs practical tools to manage it.
Do I need to read these books together, or can my child read them alone?
Both work. Younger children will get the most out of reading together, so you can talk through the story as you go. Older children may prefer to work through a workbook independently, then chat about it afterwards if they want to.
When should I look beyond books for my child’s anxiety?
If worries are persistent, intense, or getting in the way of daily life, sleep or school, it’s worth talking to your GP or your child’s school about further support. These books are a lovely starting point for conversation, but they’re not a substitute for professional guidance where it’s needed.
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- 4 Easy Ways to Introduce and Practice Meditation for Kids
Save This for Later
Not ready to pick a book today? Bookmark this list or save it to your Pinterest board so you have it to hand next time your child needs a little extra support.
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