A Little Bit Worried

If you have a child with a little anxiety, this is the perfect story for teaching them to see things from a different perspective. Most young children often struggle with sensitivity to loud noises and can become anxious when they experience things out of their control, such as extreme weather conditions. This book has helped me teach my son to view things from another perspective and helped him learn that storms, wind and rain can be fun if you look at it another way.

A Little Bit Worried is the story of Weasel who is out enjoying a walk, when suddenly the weather changes and Weasel becomes afraid. He doesn't like the wind, rain or hail, so he builds himself a house to keep himself safe. He becomes used to being by himself, listening to the scary weather outside the safety of his home. Suddenly, a Mole appears on his sofa. Mole wants to know why Weasel is by himself and teaches Weasel that the extreme weather can be much more fun when you look at it another way. With every anxiety that Weasel expresses, Mole shows him how it can be fun and Weasel begins to learn that it is ok to be afraid sometimes, but Mole 'had such a different way of seeing things'.  When Weasel expresses his final fear, Mole simply replies that all you need to do is face it with a friend. Mole and Weasel become friends and face Weasel's fears together.

The illustrations make a delightful contrast to this teaching of a complex emotion. The illustrations are colourful yet kept simple, keeping the focus on the narrative. Mole's expressions are particularly enjoyable as he runs about showing Weasel how to enjoy the extreme weathers and his body language shows how much he cares about Weasel. You can't help but feel sorry for Weasel as his little worries reflect the anxiety that we all feel.

I think a lot of adults can learn a lot from this picture book. It is undoubtedly a good story for teaching adults - as well as children! - that all our little worries can be resolved if we just look at it another way and talk more openly to our friends.

Picture book / Reviewed by Joanna Hewish, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 3+