Is a Worry Worring You?

by Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz

      Kids worry about the darndest things. Whether they're fretting over a friend at school not liking them, the fact that there might be a monster under their bed, or that something bad may happen to them in the future, worries can be a real concern for children. Fortunately there are authors like Ferida Wolff and Harriet May Savitz to confront such fears. In, "Is A Worry Worrying You?" children see how worries hurt us as individuals and present steps kids can take to defeat them. Accompanying this text are the excellent illustrations of artist Marie LeTourneau. Spiking her pictures with a bit of Edward Gorey and Victoria Chess, LeTourneau has turned an everyday worry into a monstrous, malicious, furry, blue monster. This worry likes nothing better than to scare the beejeezus out of little kids and worry them as far as possible. Because of the pictures this book, which could easily have remained a nice but essentially repetitive affair, is bright and playful. It would have been nice if the authors had acknowledged that some worries can be helpful (especially if children are about to participate in something dangerous to their safety or health) but aside from that quibble it's well worth checking out. A nice little title.