Little Parachutes

Picture books that help children

< Picture Books Library
Categories: Anxiety, Confidence & Self-esteem, Courage, Fear of The Dark

The Worry Box

A great choice for children with occasional worries, the bear in the story is given strategies to help ease his anxiety.
Add to your book list
The Worry Box by Suzanne Chiew

Author: Suzanne Chiew
Illustrator: Sean Julian
Publisher: Little Tiger

A charming story about a little bear who finds he is able to control his anxiety on a day trip with the help of his loving big sister. Sean Julian’s illustrations are truly stunning and radiate warmth and comfort, perfectly capturing the colours and mood of a summer day. 

“Sharing worries always makes them feel smaller.”

Murray Bear’s big sister Milly knows that something is troubling him. Murray confides that he’s worried about playing near the waterfall (it’s so big and loud, and he might get washed away). Milly reassures and comforts her brother, telling him that she’ll be there to support him on their planned day trip. She shows him her worry box and explains how it helps stop worries spiral out of control (“when my worries are in the box they don’t stop me having fun”). She makes a box for Murray and they set off for their trip. 

Murray feels nervous as they approach the waterfall, but with a big deep breath he is able to stand and admire it. The siblings meet their friend Alfie and his cousin Lara, who is a bold and brave little rabbit. Murray worries about climbing the oak tree with the others, but using the worry box gives him the confidence to have a go. 

The friends get held up at the riverbank and the sun begins to set. Lara starts to panic – she’s frightened of the dark. Murray helps her by sharing his worry box and comforting her until they get home safely. 

The messages we found in this book:

Acknowledgement:

  • Murray’s worries didn’t go away completely but became more manageable when he used the worry box.
  • Even people who seem very confident and invincible can have fears and anxieties (Lara is a very bold and brave explorer, but she is frightened of the dark). 

Guidance:

  • Murray uses coping strategies in the story: he repeats positive phrases (‘Worries won’t stop me’), takes deep breaths and writes down his anxieties in his worry box. 
  • Sharing worries makes them feel smaller

Hope & Inspiration:

  • Murray successfully controlled his anxiety on the day trip and had an enjoyable day. 
  • Murray was able to pass on the advice he had been given by his sister to Lara when she felt anxious and frightened. He was a good friend to Lara. 
  • Milly was very sensitive to how Murray was feeling and was kind and patient with him. 
Worth noting:

In the story the friends swim in the river without adult supervision. It might be worth reminding children about safety around water after reading this book.