If you're interested in this book there is going to be a whole week of A-Z stops on the tour (we are B!) and I've popped the banner with the details below.

*Jerboas are hopping desert rodents found in Arabia, Northern Africa and Asia.

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of Oi Aardvark for review purposes by the publishers as part of the blog tour. Words and opinions are my own. If you click on the title or image of the book you will be sent to amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase on amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-70p per book) from amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our 'For Our Readers' section.

Ruby's Worry by Tom Percival

The Worry Box by Suzanne Chiew & Sean Julian

This lovely story stars Murray Bear, who has a lot of worries. So many, in fact, that it's stopping him from exploring and going on adventures with his friends. With the help of his sister, Milly, Murray makes a special box to keep all his worries in and sets out to explore, adventure and make new friends. With soft illustrations and adorable characters that children will relate to, this is a brilliant story to encourage children to talk about their worries and fears. A much-needed book for classroom and school libraries!

My Monster and Me by Nadiya Hussain & Ella Bailey

This picture book places telling someone, about sharing your “monster”, right at the heart of taking control of your worries. This is the story of a little boy whose worry monster follows him everywhere he goes. It’s there when he gets dressed, when he plays with his toys, it gets in the way of him playing with his friends. But his monster is very good at hiding from his family so his parents sand older siblings don’t notice that it is there. But when he opens up to his grandmother, there is a big change in monster. And whilst monster might never go away completely it becomes so small that the boy can carry him around in his pocket. And if ever it feel like getting out of that pocket he knows how to make it go away. His monster is part of him, and it’s natural to have some worries but with support he can make sure his monster behaves. Beautifully illustrated, and with monster that looks more playful and mischievous than frightening, this book is a powerful tool to show children that they needn’t be afraid of their worry monster but they shouldn’t let it boss them around. 

A Little Bit Worried by Ciara Gavin & Tim Warnes

The main character in this is perfect for children coping with anxiety or struggling with new experiences and they way the story is constructed it will also give empathy to those who are more confident and outgoing. It’s the story of Weasel who is caught in a big, angry storm, so he builds a fortress to hide in. But inside his fortress one day, he discovers Mole, who loves to play in the wind and splash in the rain. And Mole helps Weasel to overcome his fears and find joy, whatever the weather! I love the way that this book isn’t dismissive of those self-protective behaviour we have but rather encourages a more mindful approach to the fearful things we can’t control. The illustrations bring to life the characters through a clever use of expressions and the clever use of the changing weather to portray the changing mood and emotions of the character is a subtle way to share with children that after the rain comes the sunshine.

The Problem with Problems by Rachel Rooney & Zehra Hicks

Have you ever met a problem? Problems are creatures. They come in all sizes. Some even wear disguises! Each one is different but all of them want to cause trouble. They certainly can be tricky creatures. But the key is to keep quiet calm, don’t let them trouble you. There are so many things you can do to send them on their way! This lovely picture book brings to life ‘problems’ in a way that very young children can understand and helps them explore the problems with problems and the solutions! This is an ingenious book which has very cleverly personified problems in a way that makes them feel approachable, ignorable, solvable. The illustrations are bright and cheerful! Making you feel bright and cheerful as you read and choose to tackle your problems head on. A wonderful addition to your bookshelf and a great conversation opener about children’s problems and mental health!

Almost Anything by Sophy Henn

This is a wonderful story about self-confidence and stars a whole cast of woodland creatures. George, the rabbit, thinks he can’t paint, bowl, dance or skate like his friends and he’s too afraid to try. Bear makes him a magic hat to give him the courage to try and when he does it turns out he can skate, and dance and read and a whole host of other things! But then George loses his hat, and his confidence with it. How will he be able to join in with his friends? If he can't do all the new things he has learned how will he have fun? So Bear tells him the truth: the magic didn’t come from the hat, it came from inside. Now doesn’t that sound like a magic picture book? When you feel like everyone else can do something but you can’t it can leave you feeling lonely and left out. And in this book little ones will see that all they need is a little bit of confidence to try, resilience if they fail, and friends to help them find their own magic to succeed. And if all else fails - a paper hat might do the trick!

Sometimes I am Worried endorsed by Dr. Janet Rose and illustrated by Marie Paruit

This fantastic book is full of tactile lift the flaps and turn wheels show what it feels like inside our bodies when we are worried and how our body might react as well as things we can do to ease that discomfort. I love how kid-centric these books are and how direct and to the point - just here is what it’s like to be worried and here is what it might feel like inside. They can lift the flaps, slide the tabs and turn the wheel to explore what a worry is, why they might worry and how they can stop their worries from becoming too big and we love the sliding scale on the final page! On the cover it says “for sharing and talking” and this is just perfect for exactly that!

I hope you find these supportive for your little worriers and that they start a conversation about your bairns' worried. If you are looking for more of our very favourite books to support children's mental health check out my Amazon shop and click on the section for Children's Books about Mental Health.