During the Pandemic – we are finding more and more that our children are anxious and worried. I feel is is very important that young children know that this is a normal response to these uncertain times, we can help them but also it is okay to be anxious.
Finding a book with this message, that suitable for the preschool children I teach is a challenge. There are plenty of books about worry, some are a little wordy, others have slightly scary characters and many by the end show a character who is no longer worried.
For the times we are in ‘ It Will be Okay’ ticked all the boxes for what I was looking for. I will, without a doubt, be adding this book to my social/emotional collection in my preschool classroom.
The story follows Giraffe, who can’t go out with his friend because he is worried about a spider. He knows his fear is irrational, but hides in the tree regardless and can’t bring himself to come down. His friend Zebra, listens to his fears and waits until giraffe is ready to come down. Zebra tells Giraffe that his fear ‘isn’t silly if it bothered him’ (my favourite line from the book), he shows empathy and understanding and shares a message that friends can help us with our fears, but most importantly it is okay to be worried by things. I love the resolution of the story. Instead of ‘curing’ Giraffes fear, it shows the comfort of an understanding friend and the message that being afraid is perfectly normal. Bravo for this modern take on worry, anxiety and friendship!
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Right from the Start 