Sometimes When I'm Worried - by Deborah Serani (Hardcover)

About the Book

Children learn practical strategies for coping with worry and anxiety.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"An empowering, soothing aid for children combatting worry."-- "Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review"

"Explores the concept of anxiety in an accessible and relatable way for young readers . . . Another superb work in an essential series for parents, teachers, and anyone who works with children."-- "Readers' Favorite"

"Sometimes kids worry. And some kids worry a lot. Addressing common childhood worries, reflected in beautifully drawn and descriptive illustrations, Sometimes When I'm Worried normalizes the anxiety that so many children feel by removing the blame and providing actionable strategies for both children and their parents to feel more at ease."--Jess P. Shatkin, M.D., MPH, Professor, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine

"Sometimes When I'm Worried is a social and emotional learning book valuable to both children and parents. Children learn that others are also sometimes anxious and worried. Through the support of parents in the story, children are comforted and offered advice and guidance to cope with their feelings."--Leah Klungness, Ph.D., psychologist and author of The Complete Single Parent

About the Author

Deborah Serani, Psy.D., is an award-winning author of the Sometimes When collection and numerous titles for adults, and has been a 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.