Adorable art with a well-intended story, but the simplistic solution , ironically, made me worry a bit. All kids have worries. A lot of them think they are alone. The worries can grow if you try to ignore them. Knowing you are not alone can help. This is all true, and this is all the great part of the book. But Ruby finds another child who also has a worry (great!), and they talk about them (wonderful!), and the worries go away (you were so close!).

Ruby’s Worry is about a typical little girl, Ruby. This sweet little girl enjoys the swings and exploring, but Ruby’s world begins to change when she finds a worry following her. At first the worry is just a small fuzz ball, but as the story progresses, the worry grows. As the worry expands, Ruby begins to feel very sad and concerned. To return to her former carefree self, Ruby finds a conversation and the friendship of another child the key to removing her worry ball from her life. I didn't specify what Ruby is worried about in the book because ultimately, it doesn't matter what the actual problem is - the solution will always be found by opening up about your worries and talking them through with someone, ideally someone thoughtful, sensible and sensitive! Teaching them that it's okay to worry and that it helps to talk about worries is an important lesson for them--and perhaps for us too. These words don't make us feel good. They're a bit like those bright yellow caterpillars that warn birds not to eat them because they're poisonous. In fact, just typing them out makes my stomach feel knotted, especially the last two... I guess that means I'm susceptible to stress.

No one else could see her Worry, so Ruby tried to ignore it. The more she ignored the Worry, it grew bigger and bigger. It followed her everywhere, stopping her from doing the things she loved. Soon the Worry was so ENORMOUS and overwhelming that it was all she could think about. What Ruby didn’t realise was this is the worst thing you can do with a Worry.

Maybe it's not going to be the whole solution, but it's always the starting point, and once you know where to start, who knows how far you'll go? Ruby's "worry" is seen initially as a small yellow creature--like a dust ball. But the "worry" grows and grows and GROWS until it takes up half the school bus, and many rows in a movie theater, and it's a fun story, just as a story!. Children love the story 'Ruby's Worry'. It is a wonderful book that promotes talking about feelings. Teachers and pupils will discuss how we feel in different situations and scenarios and how talking to others about our worries can help. Children will be able to see links between different subjects, which leads to deeper, more valuable learning. It is very important for a child's health and wellbeing for them to recognise how they feel and what to do if they feel they need help with their mental health. Who is this topic web for? A reassuring and sensitive book – the perfect springboard for talking to children about sharing their hidden worries. From the Big Bright Feelings series by Tom Percival It wasn't much fun. Shortly after that, I realised that you can't ignore anxiety, or any other problem in your life. It sounds obvious, but when you're in a position of denial, about anything, you can never be truly happy.Reading "Ruby Finds a Worry" gave me so many exciting feelings. I wish books like this were around when I was a little girl. To me it means so much to see a dark brown little girl with curly, bushy afro puffs and braids as the main character of a book. As an educator, I would like to read this book with my class during of one our morning meetings. I think this will help me to get a sense of what my students are feeling and to observe their expressions. To begin, I will start a conversation by letting them know that I, their teacher, has worried, (still worries), and then ask them questions like: "What are feelings?, "What are emotions", and, "Has anyone ever felt worried?" "What was it like? What did you notice or observe about your self?" Can you describe your feeling(s)? "What did it/they look like (color, size, shape, etc)?" I am planning to read this with my class and use it to spark a discussion about how worries won't go away if we just avoid them and ignore them, as well as talking about ways that worries can be resolved such as talking to a friend or trusted adult. In our school we are really trying hard to make sure that every child has the opportunity to share things that are worrying them, so each classroom has a communication box so children can write a note to their teacher, even if they don't feel comfortable or don't have the opportunity to talk about their worry in person straightaway. This book is really perfect to support this, as well as reinforce the message that we cannot do anything to help unless we know that it is a problem.

I have anxiety. More importantly, I parent a child with severe anxiety. If I had read this to her when she was younger, it would have made her so sad. Talking about her worries does not make them go away. We have tried that. In fact, if she starts talking about them, it sometimes magnifies them and she can't think about anything else. This book would have made her worry even more that she was not normal because talking about her worries doesn't fix them. I feel it's important for children, and their parents, to be offered books that might help them navigate their emotional journeys. We encourage our kids to eat healthily and get enough exercise, so it makes sense that we also help them to understand their emotional wellbeing and focus on exploring ways to improve mental health. Tom Percival, the author and illustrator of Ruby’s Worry, taps in children’s emotional needs in his latest picture book, Ruby’s Worry. In today’s busy world, young children are presenting with anxiety issues and are often unable to discuss their worries. Tom Percival has recognised this and has composed a children’s picture book that opens up the vital channels of communication around this sensitive subject area.

Curriculum

Explore more fantastic Early Level Mental and Emotional Wellbeing resources here! You'll find a variety of written activities, PowerPoints, games, display posters, and more. What will my child learn participating in this topic? If your child has a worry - and all children do have worries - this is the ideal book to encourage them to talk about it' Parents In Touch 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?