Kids Book Recommendations

Written By Miranda Barker

Kids Books About Anxiety

  • “The Worrysaurus” by Rachel Bright
    Age Range: 3-7 years
    A story about a little dinosaur who learns to manage his worries by focusing on the present moment.

  • “What to Do When You Worry Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety” by Dawn Huebner
    Age Range: 6-12 years
    A workbook-style guide that helps children understand and work through their anxiety.

  • “Ruby Finds a Worry” by Tom Percival
    Age Range: 3-7 years
    This book follows Ruby, a little girl who learns to talk about her worries and find ways to manage them.

  • “Hey Warrior” by Karen Young
    Age Range: 5-12 years
    Explains anxiety to children in a simple way, encouraging them to see anxiety as something they can understand and manage.

  • “Don’t Feed the WorryBug” by Andi Green
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    A story that helps children understand how feeding their worries can make them grow and how to manage them.

  •  “A Little Spot of Anxiety: A Story About Calming Your Worries” by Diane Alber
    Age Range: 4-10 years
    A book that introduces kids to the concept of anxiety and provides practical tips for managing it. Personally, this is my favorite book about anxiety for preschoolers and elementary aged kids and they have more books on more feelings!

  • “The Invisible String” by Patrice Karst
    Age Range: 3-8 years
    Though not specifically about anxiety, this book is often used to help children deal with separation anxiety and other worries.

  • “Scaredy Squirrel” by Mélanie Watt
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    A humorous story about a squirrel who learns to face his fears and discover new things outside his comfort zone.

  • “Wilma Jean the Worry Machine” by Julia Cook
    Age Range: 5-8 years
    This book explains worry in a way that children can understand, offering solutions for managing it.

  • “I’m Worried” by Michael Ian Black and Debbie Ridpath Ohi
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    A lighthearted approach to worry, showing kids that it’s okay to feel anxious and that they can talk about it with friends. This book is also a part of a set with other feelings!

  • “Breathe Like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere” by Kira Willey
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    This is an awesome book to help with anxiety! It’s a collection of short, guided breathing and mindfulness exercises to help kids manage anxiety and stress.

Books About Emotions for Kids

  • “In My Heart: A Book of Feelings” by Jo Witek
    Age Range: 2-6 years
    A beautifully illustrated book that explores different emotions, helping children articulate how they feel in various situations.

  • “A Little SPOT of Emotion Box Set” by Diane Alber
    Age Range: 4-10 years
    A set of books that personifies various emotions (anger, anxiety, happiness, etc.) to help children understand and manage their feelings.

  • “Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day” by Jamie Lee Curtis
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    This book introduces kids to a range of emotions, from silly to sad, and helps them recognize their own feelings. Ps. I had this book when I was little and I now read it to my daughter!

  • “The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings” by Anna Llenas
    Age Range: 3-7 years
    This book is great for when we’re feeling all jumbled up and we have a hard time articulating how we’re feeling.

  • “The Way I Feel” by Janan Cain
    Age Range: 3-7 years
    A colorful book that explores different emotions, including anger, helping children recognize and express their feelings.

  • “The Boy with Big, Big Feelings” by Britney Winn Lee
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    A book about a boy who feels emotions intensely, including anger, and learns to express and manage those feelings with the help of others. (Also really beautifully illustrated if you’re a fan of that sort of thing like me!)

  • “Tough Guys Have Feelings Too” by Keith Negley
    Age Range: 4-9 years
    A funny book with illustrations of tough guys having feelings to normalize feeling all sorts of different ways.

Books About Anger

  •  “When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really Angry…” by Molly Bang
    Age Range: 3-7 years
    A story about a girl named Sophie who learns to calm down after feeling angry, highlighting healthy ways to process strong emotions.

  •  “Anh’s Anger” by Gail Silver
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    This book introduces mindfulness techniques to help children understand and manage their anger.

  • “I Am Angry” by Michael Rosen
    Age Range: 3-6 years
    A simple yet expressive story that shows children how it feels to be angry and ways to manage those feelings.

  • “The Red Beast: Helping Children Understand and Manage Anger“ by K.I. Al-Ghani
    Age Range: 5-9 years
    This book uses the metaphor of a red beast to represent anger, teaching children ways to calm the “beast” when it wakes up.

  • “When I Feel Angry” by Cornelia Maude Spelman
    Age Range: 3-6 years
    This book explores what it feels like to be angry and offers young children simple ways to deal with their emotions.

  • “Hands Are Not for Hitting” by Martine Agassi
    Age Range: 3-6 years
    This book teaches children alternatives to using their hands when they are angry, promoting positive ways to express their feelings.

Dealing with Change (New school, moving homes, separation etc.)

  • “The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn
    Age Range: 3-8 years
    A classic story about a young raccoon dealing with separation anxiety on the first day of school, with a comforting message about love and security. As an anxious child, I loved when my momread this book to me.

  • “First Day Jitters” by Julie Danneberg
    Age Range: 5-8 years
    A fun twist on the nervous feelings of starting school, where the character experiencing the jitters turns out to be the teacher.

  • “Wemberly Worried” by Kevin Henkes
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    A story about a little mouse who worries about everything, especially her first day of school, and how she learns to manage her anxiety.

  •  “Llama Llama Misses Mama” by Anna Dewdney
    Age Range: 3-5 years
    An easy-to-read book about a young llama’s first day at school and how he adjusts to being away from his mother. My preschooler LOVES all of these books!

  • “The Invisible String” by Patrice Karst
    Age Range: 3-8 years
    Obviously I love this book, since it’s on this list a few times! Though often used for dealing with separation anxiety, this book is also great for kids facing changes like moving or starting school, emphasizing the connection with loved ones no matter where they are.

  • “Moving Day!” by Jess Stockham
    Age Range: 3-6 years
    This book is targeted towards really young children and to help them understand and process the feelings associated with moving to a new home.

  • “Alexander, Who’s Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move” by Judith Viorst
    Age Range: 5-8 years
    A relatable story about a boy who is upset about moving and learns to cope with the change.

  • “A House for Hermit Crab” by Eric Carle
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    This story follows a hermit crab who must find a new shell and learns to adapt to change, making it a great metaphor for moving or starting something new. This book is great for kids that are just learning how to read.

  • “The Pigeon Has to Go to School!” by Mo Willems
    Age Range: 3-6 years
    A humorous book about a pigeon who doesn’t want to go to school, exploring feelings of apprehension and fear of the unknown.

  • “My New Friend Is So Fun!” by Mo Willems
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    Part of the Elephant & Piggie series (also by the same author has the book above this one), this book is great for kids who are adjusting to new friendships, a common part of starting school or moving.

  • “When You Are Brave” by Pat Zietlow Miller
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    This story encourages children to find courage when facing new situations, such as moving to a new place or starting school. This is one I use regularly with kids in my practice.

  •  “School’s First Day of School” by Adam Rex
    Age Range: 4-8 years
    A unique story told from the perspective of a new school building experiencing its first day, reflecting the feelings of children attending school for the first time.

  •  “Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!” by Cori Doerrfeld
    Age Range: 3-7 years
    A gentle book that explores the idea that with every goodbye, there’s a new hello, helping children deal with transitions and change.

  • “How to Get Your Octopus to School” by Cori Doerrfeld
    Age Range: 3-9 years
    A funny book about a child trying to get their anxious octopus out the door for their first day of school.

Sadness, Grief, and Loss Books

Miranda Barker