Dr Kirsty Ross is the Senior Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at Massey University. She recently reviewed 'Rising Tide' by Sarina Dickson (Kōtuku Creative, 2016) for 'Psychology Aotearoa' Volume 9, Number 1, May 2017.
'This book beautifully sets out complex psychological processes in a way that children aged 8-12 will understand and relate to.'
Book review for “Rising Tide” by Sarina Dickson, published by Kōtuku Creative with Therapist notes from Julie Burgess-Manning.
This is the third book in The Worry Bug series by the Kotuku Creative group, and targets children aged 8-12 years old. It is available in English as well as in Te Reo. It is a delightful story that centres on a young ten-year-old boy (Ari) who is trying to manage some big worries. Ari lives with his parents and two sisters in a small rural town, and is having a great deal of trouble with writing, reading and spelling, which he is trying to keep a secret. The effort of trying to hide this leads him to experience physical symptoms of anxiety, negative cognitions, and feelings of shame, sadness and worry; it also results in him avoiding situations where his secret might be found out. He also avoids friends, family and his kind supportive teacher, leading to him missing out on key supports. A major event involving his beloved Koro leads to a series of events that ultimately lead to him discovering that his much-admired father and Koro also have the same difficulties, and Ari realises that sharing his problems and worries leads to him learning that they are often not as bad as he feared.
The story illustrates the five part CBT model very well, with Ari having physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural responses to situations where his worries are triggered. His pattern of avoidance – and how it worsens the situation – is also nicely depicted, as is the loneliness of keeping his secret (and the resulting worries) to himself. The cognitive and social processes that are typical of this developmental stage are incorporated into the story in a way that I think most children this age will identify with. While the importance of family is still evident in the story, the growing desire for independence, along with an increasing awareness and emphasis of the opinions of peers that is characteristic of this age, is also included.
Rising Tide also included the therapy notes that are intended for use by teachers in schools, parents in the home, and by therapists in individual work. The therapist notes are well explained, and are designed to scaffold between home and school. They incorporate and link to competencies in the NZ curriculum so will fit in nicely with schools’ needs to demonstrate the relevance of the topics to their required teachings. The topics and tasks would be able to be delivered in a variety of settings and formats (individually as well as in groups). The activities take advantage of the cognitive and social processes of middle childhood, and mix concepts such as magical thinking with cognitive errors to create a set of tasks that will meet the needs of children across the specified age range. The emphasis for teachers and parents on managing their own emotions, and adopting and modelling the skills to children is very appropriate for this age range, and the systemic focus of identifying supports will be beneficial for all children.
The English version of the story, and the therapist notes, beautifully incorporates Maori culture, and the therapeutic notes which use the metaphor of a family Korowai (cloak) which weaves together the family values as a protective cloak is just lovely. Similarly, the idea of developing new family Kowhaiwhai builds on the idea of stories through art and that families can change their stories and commit to new ways of being.
I think this book and the resources attached to it are a wonderful addition to what we can suggest to families, schools and therapists supporting children with anxiety. If I were to offer any suggestions or constructive comments to the publishers, it would be to suggest that they highlight that the skills discussed in the therapist notes can be generalised to other emotional states, not just anxiety. When using the strategies, it would be beneficial to add in ways to encourage and teach people to calm down physical responses before they engage in cognitive strategies and accessing social supports. This is suggested in the actual story when Ari takes some deep breaths, but it would be helpful to include some specific calm breathing and relaxation techniques in the package of resources. Also, some of the language in the therapist resources is quite sophisticated – for example, ‘dominant and subjugated stories’ are terms that therapists would be very familiar with, but might be quite daunting for parents. The terms themselves are well explained; however, I would like to think that this book can be used by people with varying degrees of formal education, so I hope that some of the more ‘technical’ terms do not put people off or have them feel that they couldn’t use the strategies. Finally, the website link given on the final page of the book leads to an error message, although the resources themselves and research supporting the ideas were easy to find on The Worry Bug website, under the section “The Rising Tide”.
In conclusion, this book beautifully sets out complex psychological processes in a way that children aged 8-12 will understand and relate to. It incorporates biculturalism and key theories relevant and supported in the literature on children and anxiety – attachment theory, systems theory, narrative therapy and CBT. It also incorporates key developmental processes (both cognitive and social) in the therapeutic strategies, along with tasks that can be tailored to individual family values and beliefs. The application to both school and home would hopefully mean that children would be receiving consistent and positive messages, modelling and strategies from the key people in their lives, and if delivered in a group format, would also involve social support from peers. I will be recommending this book to people wanting to support and assist with children with mild levels of anxiety; those with distress at a higher level would benefit from having therapist coaching of the children and their parents, in order to successfully implement the strategies for children like Ari.
Mental Health Foundation
Rising Tide
Dickson, S. (2016). Kōtuku Creative
Sarina Dickson and Julie Burgess-Manning are the pair responsible for the very popular Worry Bug resources (Maia and the Worry Bug and Wishes and Worries) brought about as support for children after the Christchurch earthquakes. However, don’t be put off if your child or students haven’t experienced, or don’t remember the earthquakes. This book appeals to any child with worries, and includes excellent strategies to help.
Rising Tide is Dickson’s new book, but for older aged children (Year 5–8). Cleverly however, Rising Tide is not Maia and The Worry Bug for older children. It’s a fresh, new story fully created on its own accord. Everything about it screams 8–12 year olds – the physical size of the book, the cover page illustration, and the use of minimal illustrations throughout.
The book centres on nearly ten-year-old Ari who lives with his parents and two sisters. The hooks come quickly – Ari has secrets. While these hold our interest in the story, it’s reassuring for us with our own, and there’s a subtle focus on Ari believing he’s the only one that suffers from his secret which keeps him feeling isolated and ashamed.
Creative lesson plans included
What captured me were the skills and strategies both Ari and his Dad use to manage and cope with things. The back of the book is filled with creative lesson plans for school use. I was impressed by the immediate connection Dickson makes between home and school and the extension of activities from interpersonal relationships to communities and environments.
A part of this focus is brought to self-fulfilling prophecies – our beliefs that we are the way we think we are, and how this relates to worry. This is of course challenged, and looks to embed a growth (rather than fixed) mind-set understanding. Because I’m not a teacher, my thoughts come from a parent perspective – do I want my children exposed to, and learning about this? Absolutely.
Useful strategies embedded
This is unmistakably a New Zealand/Aotearoa story – the use of Māori and the descriptions of what Ari notices in his rural township are so familiar. At no stage did I consider the themes in the book as having to relate to the Christchurch earthquakes. The strategies embedded in the story are useful for any young person whether they worry a lot or a little.
My daughter gave Rising Tide a solid eight out of 10. She told me it was “relatable” and that, “If I have secrets that feel really big and kinda out of control, I’d talk to someone… [like] you, nan or maybe dad.” Perfect. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Reviewed by Anna Mowat, Family Advisor at All Right?
Rising Tide Kid Reviewers
"I recommend this book for anyone who is struggling at home or school. It's all about building up courage to not be afraid to show everyone who you really are. It's also a message that you shouldn't be afraid and you should just give things a go. And if it doesn't turn out you can always try again."
Bronte, age 9
"Ari is a glum child, because he thinks that he’s not good at anything. I enjoyed this book because the characters were well written and the storyline was intriguing and I genuinely felt sad for the main character. I also enjoyed how the conclusion of the story made me feel happy for Ari. I recommend this book for readers aged 9 to 21. The story flowed well and I wanted to keep reading until the very end. I also like how it included the teaching plans and family exercises. I feel this book would be a benefit to people who are feeling unsure of themselves and wanting to progress through life without fear of being inadequate."
Sebastian, age 10
Mental Health Foundation New Zealand
Wishes and Worries
Dickson, S. (2015). Kotuku Creative
Wishes and Worries was written in response to the Christchurch earthquakes to help children who are experiencing mild to moderate anxiety. It’s designed for use in classrooms, while its companion Maia and the Worry Bug is designed for children to take home.
When my partner and son brought Wishes and Worries home in their weekly pile from the local library, I could see its immediate value. Our son has become increasingly worried about noises in the night and robbers.
Even though Wishes and Worries is intended as a classroom resource, it was an easy night time read, engaging, beautifully illustrated and the content was affirming. The author is adept at being able to turn the principles of cognitive and narrative therapy into a compelling story.
Easy to relate to for kids
The main character Dan's worries and fears are disrupting his ability to enjoy everyday activities and stopping him having fun with his mates. My son could really relate to the character’s focus on noises and listening for sounds of danger.
Through Dan's journey, kids who may previously have felt powerless over their thoughts and feelings can see how they can “untangle” and identify their own worries. They learn to reflect on how these thoughts affect their thinking and their bodies, and to use their creativity to find ways to be with, or direct them.
You also get a good sense of how a child may feel misunderstood when adults around them may think they are just being difficult and that parents and teachers need to be aware of the expectations we put on them to just “get on” with everyday tasks.
We read through some of the suggestions for class activities at the back, many of which are student-led.
The availability of this book in schools to support the curriculum would help kids realise they are not alone, that others feel the same and that their school is supportive.
My son laughed out loud at the suggestion of putting a box in the principal's drawer that kids could put their written worries into. He decided he would instead send his worries into space on the Millennium Falcon (from Star Wars).
The book provides readers with valuable skills and normalises kids’ concerns, but also has a dash of magic, fun and hope.
Available in both English and Te Reo Maori.
Reviewed by Kim Higginson, Information Resources Specialist at the Mental Health Foundation.
Mental Health Foundation New Zealand
Maia and the Worry Bug
Burgess-Manning, J. (2015). Kotuku Creative
Maia and the Worry Bug is a story and resource book to help families experiencing mild to moderate anxiety manage their worries and understand anxiety better.
The book focuses on the affect the Christchurch earthquakes had on families and the anxiety and change they brought about. But I think the book would be beneficial to any family that is experiencing any kind of difficulties that come with change.
It’s a colourful book with exciting animations that will keep the attention of young kids. I think it’s a lovely story that can help give kids the words they might need in order to explain if, and when, they are feeling anxious, or when they notice their parents have become anxious.
Being American, I think this book would have been wonderful for many parents after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Toolbox helps families open up
I really enjoyed the family anxiety toolbox at the end of the book for families to see where their stress levels are and how to find ways to open up and talk about their worries.
The toolbox provides a space for families to write down their worries and ask questions like, “What does dad think mum’s worries are?” to help open up conversations for parents and kids to really understand what anxieties they have.
This book also provides space to write down all those worries and lock them away. “This is a way to stop worries from intruding all day long.”
I think this is a lovely book and I plan to get two copies for my nieces and my sisters in the United States.
Reviewed by Kate Cherven, Programme Engagement Specialist at the Mental Health Foundation.
PEER REVIEW: JUNIOR BOOKS OCTOBER 2015 New Zealand Book Council06-10-2015
Reviews by Librarians, Teachers and Principals of the latest New Zealand books for junior readers
Wishes and Worries
Sarina Dickson, Illustration: Jenny Cooper
Kotuku Creative,
Ages: 5-10
Reviewer: Julie Newth, Teacher with Library Responsibility
Onepoto School
This is an emotional story, dealing with anxieties that, unfortunately, many children come to school every day loaded down by. It is extremely pertinent to the children of Canterbury but also to children country-wide.
The book is a wonderful read-a-loud and the use of language is descriptive and quite poetic. My favourite line being ‘A wish is a worry turned inside out’. I loved the idea that everybody needs ‘a tree’ to place their fears where they can be recycled.
The illustrations fit the story beautifully and the font changes throughout the text, making it very engaging for the reader and the audience; while the activities are well designed and would encourage children to talk about their fears and worries, and hopefully put into practice strategies that could ease their anxieties. The links to the curriculum at the back of the book are also great discussion starters.
A highly recommended read-a-loud, with lots of potential for further discussion.
PEER REVIEW: JUNIOR BOOKS OCTOBER 2015 New Zealand Book Council06-10-2015
Reviews by Librarians, Teachers and Principals of the latest New Zealand books for junior readers
Maia and the Worry Bug
Julie Burgess-Manning, Illustration: Jenny Cooper
Kotuku Creative, RRP: PB $14.90 (distributed for free to all Year 0-4 students children in the Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariki districts)
Ages: 5-9
Reviewer: Teresa Maguire, Team Leader Years 1-2
Miramar North School
This book has been created in response to the anxieties found in young children following the Christchurch earthquakes. It tells the story of Maia and her family and the appearance of a ‘worry bug’ who comes to stay and causes anxiety amongst all the family members. Mum worries about the family’s safety and fastens furniture to the wall, Dad checks on the family’s emergency supplies and Maia worries so much she feels sick and stays home from school. I like the way the book has personified anxiety in the form of a ‘worry bug’. The ‘worry bug’ grows as the family’s anxiety increases. Maia’s family eventually sit down and make a plan to deal with their worries, which shrinks the worry bug to almost nothing.
At the back of the book are a series of exercises and advice for families, with websites and contact details for agencies that can offer support. This will appeal to young students who may not be able to express their feelings. The book is very straightforward about the types of worries a family might have, but also provides a solution on how to deal with these concerns. This book has been well thought-out and is backed by clear psychological principles. It will be a useful tool for parents and teachers to help young students deal with the anxieties caused by the earthquakes.
Booksellers NZ
Book Review: Wishes and Worries by Sarina Dickson, illustrated by Jenny Cooper
Available in selected bookshops.
Wishes and Worries is part of a home-school resource for teachers and parents to use
when wanting to help children who are experiencing mild to moderate anxiety. The concept came about as a response to the aftermath of Christchurch earthquakes, when many children were demonstrating a need for help managing their worries. Utilising cognitive behaviour and narrative therapy, the book helps adults to help children in an easy-to-follow way.
Wishes and Worries is the part of the resource for teachers to use at school (Maia and the Worry Bug is the book for parents to use at home). It is designed to be read aloud, and then for NZ Curriculum-linked activities to follow within the classroom.
Dan has a constant stream of self-talk going – although for him it feels like it’s coming from external sources. He feels under pressure to let his mum get to work even though he’d like her support at school, as he finds it a high-stress environment. He really doesn’t want to be there, but he knows his mum will be frustrated with him if he tells her about it. The adults in his life don’t get what’s going on for him. Dan is carrying so much worry and fear (a rumbling truck causes him to hold his breath before he realises it’s only a truck) that it’s affecting his concentration. Luckily, he discovers an almost magical way to take control of his worries and turn them into something wonderful.
The follow-up activities are well-thought through and would be very easy for a teacher to use with no adaption required. They help children to identify their own worries, to think about how it affects their thinking and their bodies, and ideas for how they could address them within the classroom in a safe and supportive way.
While the book was written in response to the Christchurch earthquakes, it could apply to just about any situation that I can think of, including children who are anxious about lots of things, rather than in response to an event. Children have all sorts of worries, and adults often dismiss them with comments like “You don’t need to worry about that” or “You’re just being silly” – and these sorts of responses really don’t help, they just drive the worry underground. It’s so much healthier for children (and adults!) to identify their anxieties, realise their mental and physical responses, and deal with them accordingly. Wishes and Worries will definitely assist caring adults to help the children in their lives.
Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Rachel Moore, primary school teacher
Wishes and Worries
by Sarina Dickson, illustrated by Jenny Cooper
Published by Kotuku Creative
ISBN: 9780473319250
Booklovers
MAIA AND THE WORRY BUG, BY JULIE BURGESS-MANNING, Illustrated by Jenny Cooper
SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
Maia and the Worry Bug is a resource designed to help families with mild to moderate anxiety. Designed to be used at home, the plot centres around Maia, a young girl living in Canterbury post-quakes.
Something terrible has happened to Maia’s family, an uninvited Worry Bug has moved in. Having the Worry Bug around is exhausting, and it keeps getting bigger. Maia and her family must work together to get rid of it.
Writer Julie Burgess-Manning is a Family Therapist and NZ Registered Psychologist currently employed by the University of Otago as a Clinical Lecturer and also working in private practice.
The book came about when real-life Maia, who was four when the earthquakes first stuck, had a very hard time coping. Maia’s mum, Sarina Dickson was approached by Burgess-Manning who suggested anxiety might be the cause. After working successfully with Maia, the two decided to create a book to help more children.
Illustrations by Jenny Cooper are suitably terrifying, and the engaging story ramps up in such a way as to clearly demonstrate how small seeming worries can rise up to stifle us.
Maia and the Worry Bug is designed to help families talk together their troubles. It also gives guidance for how to manage them, with exercises for exploring anxiety and it’s effects on us and how to manage it, following the story. These are based on Narrative and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy principles.
This is part two of a two-part resource. Part one is a classroom-based book,Wishes and Worries, consisting of a story and exercises introducing ways to manage anxiety at school.
No family should have to suffer with anxiety, so it’s wonderful that these resources exist.
HEIDI NORTH-BAILEY |
'This book beautifully sets out complex psychological processes in a way that children aged 8-12 will understand and relate to.'
Book review for “Rising Tide” by Sarina Dickson, published by Kōtuku Creative with Therapist notes from Julie Burgess-Manning.
This is the third book in The Worry Bug series by the Kotuku Creative group, and targets children aged 8-12 years old. It is available in English as well as in Te Reo. It is a delightful story that centres on a young ten-year-old boy (Ari) who is trying to manage some big worries. Ari lives with his parents and two sisters in a small rural town, and is having a great deal of trouble with writing, reading and spelling, which he is trying to keep a secret. The effort of trying to hide this leads him to experience physical symptoms of anxiety, negative cognitions, and feelings of shame, sadness and worry; it also results in him avoiding situations where his secret might be found out. He also avoids friends, family and his kind supportive teacher, leading to him missing out on key supports. A major event involving his beloved Koro leads to a series of events that ultimately lead to him discovering that his much-admired father and Koro also have the same difficulties, and Ari realises that sharing his problems and worries leads to him learning that they are often not as bad as he feared.
The story illustrates the five part CBT model very well, with Ari having physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural responses to situations where his worries are triggered. His pattern of avoidance – and how it worsens the situation – is also nicely depicted, as is the loneliness of keeping his secret (and the resulting worries) to himself. The cognitive and social processes that are typical of this developmental stage are incorporated into the story in a way that I think most children this age will identify with. While the importance of family is still evident in the story, the growing desire for independence, along with an increasing awareness and emphasis of the opinions of peers that is characteristic of this age, is also included.
Rising Tide also included the therapy notes that are intended for use by teachers in schools, parents in the home, and by therapists in individual work. The therapist notes are well explained, and are designed to scaffold between home and school. They incorporate and link to competencies in the NZ curriculum so will fit in nicely with schools’ needs to demonstrate the relevance of the topics to their required teachings. The topics and tasks would be able to be delivered in a variety of settings and formats (individually as well as in groups). The activities take advantage of the cognitive and social processes of middle childhood, and mix concepts such as magical thinking with cognitive errors to create a set of tasks that will meet the needs of children across the specified age range. The emphasis for teachers and parents on managing their own emotions, and adopting and modelling the skills to children is very appropriate for this age range, and the systemic focus of identifying supports will be beneficial for all children.
The English version of the story, and the therapist notes, beautifully incorporates Maori culture, and the therapeutic notes which use the metaphor of a family Korowai (cloak) which weaves together the family values as a protective cloak is just lovely. Similarly, the idea of developing new family Kowhaiwhai builds on the idea of stories through art and that families can change their stories and commit to new ways of being.
I think this book and the resources attached to it are a wonderful addition to what we can suggest to families, schools and therapists supporting children with anxiety. If I were to offer any suggestions or constructive comments to the publishers, it would be to suggest that they highlight that the skills discussed in the therapist notes can be generalised to other emotional states, not just anxiety. When using the strategies, it would be beneficial to add in ways to encourage and teach people to calm down physical responses before they engage in cognitive strategies and accessing social supports. This is suggested in the actual story when Ari takes some deep breaths, but it would be helpful to include some specific calm breathing and relaxation techniques in the package of resources. Also, some of the language in the therapist resources is quite sophisticated – for example, ‘dominant and subjugated stories’ are terms that therapists would be very familiar with, but might be quite daunting for parents. The terms themselves are well explained; however, I would like to think that this book can be used by people with varying degrees of formal education, so I hope that some of the more ‘technical’ terms do not put people off or have them feel that they couldn’t use the strategies. Finally, the website link given on the final page of the book leads to an error message, although the resources themselves and research supporting the ideas were easy to find on The Worry Bug website, under the section “The Rising Tide”.
In conclusion, this book beautifully sets out complex psychological processes in a way that children aged 8-12 will understand and relate to. It incorporates biculturalism and key theories relevant and supported in the literature on children and anxiety – attachment theory, systems theory, narrative therapy and CBT. It also incorporates key developmental processes (both cognitive and social) in the therapeutic strategies, along with tasks that can be tailored to individual family values and beliefs. The application to both school and home would hopefully mean that children would be receiving consistent and positive messages, modelling and strategies from the key people in their lives, and if delivered in a group format, would also involve social support from peers. I will be recommending this book to people wanting to support and assist with children with mild levels of anxiety; those with distress at a higher level would benefit from having therapist coaching of the children and their parents, in order to successfully implement the strategies for children like Ari.
Mental Health Foundation
Rising Tide
Dickson, S. (2016). Kōtuku Creative
Sarina Dickson and Julie Burgess-Manning are the pair responsible for the very popular Worry Bug resources (Maia and the Worry Bug and Wishes and Worries) brought about as support for children after the Christchurch earthquakes. However, don’t be put off if your child or students haven’t experienced, or don’t remember the earthquakes. This book appeals to any child with worries, and includes excellent strategies to help.
Rising Tide is Dickson’s new book, but for older aged children (Year 5–8). Cleverly however, Rising Tide is not Maia and The Worry Bug for older children. It’s a fresh, new story fully created on its own accord. Everything about it screams 8–12 year olds – the physical size of the book, the cover page illustration, and the use of minimal illustrations throughout.
The book centres on nearly ten-year-old Ari who lives with his parents and two sisters. The hooks come quickly – Ari has secrets. While these hold our interest in the story, it’s reassuring for us with our own, and there’s a subtle focus on Ari believing he’s the only one that suffers from his secret which keeps him feeling isolated and ashamed.
Creative lesson plans included
What captured me were the skills and strategies both Ari and his Dad use to manage and cope with things. The back of the book is filled with creative lesson plans for school use. I was impressed by the immediate connection Dickson makes between home and school and the extension of activities from interpersonal relationships to communities and environments.
A part of this focus is brought to self-fulfilling prophecies – our beliefs that we are the way we think we are, and how this relates to worry. This is of course challenged, and looks to embed a growth (rather than fixed) mind-set understanding. Because I’m not a teacher, my thoughts come from a parent perspective – do I want my children exposed to, and learning about this? Absolutely.
Useful strategies embedded
This is unmistakably a New Zealand/Aotearoa story – the use of Māori and the descriptions of what Ari notices in his rural township are so familiar. At no stage did I consider the themes in the book as having to relate to the Christchurch earthquakes. The strategies embedded in the story are useful for any young person whether they worry a lot or a little.
My daughter gave Rising Tide a solid eight out of 10. She told me it was “relatable” and that, “If I have secrets that feel really big and kinda out of control, I’d talk to someone… [like] you, nan or maybe dad.” Perfect. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Reviewed by Anna Mowat, Family Advisor at All Right?
Rising Tide Kid Reviewers
"I recommend this book for anyone who is struggling at home or school. It's all about building up courage to not be afraid to show everyone who you really are. It's also a message that you shouldn't be afraid and you should just give things a go. And if it doesn't turn out you can always try again."
Bronte, age 9
"Ari is a glum child, because he thinks that he’s not good at anything. I enjoyed this book because the characters were well written and the storyline was intriguing and I genuinely felt sad for the main character. I also enjoyed how the conclusion of the story made me feel happy for Ari. I recommend this book for readers aged 9 to 21. The story flowed well and I wanted to keep reading until the very end. I also like how it included the teaching plans and family exercises. I feel this book would be a benefit to people who are feeling unsure of themselves and wanting to progress through life without fear of being inadequate."
Sebastian, age 10
Mental Health Foundation New Zealand
Wishes and Worries
Dickson, S. (2015). Kotuku Creative
Wishes and Worries was written in response to the Christchurch earthquakes to help children who are experiencing mild to moderate anxiety. It’s designed for use in classrooms, while its companion Maia and the Worry Bug is designed for children to take home.
When my partner and son brought Wishes and Worries home in their weekly pile from the local library, I could see its immediate value. Our son has become increasingly worried about noises in the night and robbers.
Even though Wishes and Worries is intended as a classroom resource, it was an easy night time read, engaging, beautifully illustrated and the content was affirming. The author is adept at being able to turn the principles of cognitive and narrative therapy into a compelling story.
Easy to relate to for kids
The main character Dan's worries and fears are disrupting his ability to enjoy everyday activities and stopping him having fun with his mates. My son could really relate to the character’s focus on noises and listening for sounds of danger.
Through Dan's journey, kids who may previously have felt powerless over their thoughts and feelings can see how they can “untangle” and identify their own worries. They learn to reflect on how these thoughts affect their thinking and their bodies, and to use their creativity to find ways to be with, or direct them.
You also get a good sense of how a child may feel misunderstood when adults around them may think they are just being difficult and that parents and teachers need to be aware of the expectations we put on them to just “get on” with everyday tasks.
We read through some of the suggestions for class activities at the back, many of which are student-led.
The availability of this book in schools to support the curriculum would help kids realise they are not alone, that others feel the same and that their school is supportive.
My son laughed out loud at the suggestion of putting a box in the principal's drawer that kids could put their written worries into. He decided he would instead send his worries into space on the Millennium Falcon (from Star Wars).
The book provides readers with valuable skills and normalises kids’ concerns, but also has a dash of magic, fun and hope.
Available in both English and Te Reo Maori.
Reviewed by Kim Higginson, Information Resources Specialist at the Mental Health Foundation.
Mental Health Foundation New Zealand
Maia and the Worry Bug
Burgess-Manning, J. (2015). Kotuku Creative
Maia and the Worry Bug is a story and resource book to help families experiencing mild to moderate anxiety manage their worries and understand anxiety better.
The book focuses on the affect the Christchurch earthquakes had on families and the anxiety and change they brought about. But I think the book would be beneficial to any family that is experiencing any kind of difficulties that come with change.
It’s a colourful book with exciting animations that will keep the attention of young kids. I think it’s a lovely story that can help give kids the words they might need in order to explain if, and when, they are feeling anxious, or when they notice their parents have become anxious.
Being American, I think this book would have been wonderful for many parents after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
Toolbox helps families open up
I really enjoyed the family anxiety toolbox at the end of the book for families to see where their stress levels are and how to find ways to open up and talk about their worries.
The toolbox provides a space for families to write down their worries and ask questions like, “What does dad think mum’s worries are?” to help open up conversations for parents and kids to really understand what anxieties they have.
This book also provides space to write down all those worries and lock them away. “This is a way to stop worries from intruding all day long.”
I think this is a lovely book and I plan to get two copies for my nieces and my sisters in the United States.
Reviewed by Kate Cherven, Programme Engagement Specialist at the Mental Health Foundation.
PEER REVIEW: JUNIOR BOOKS OCTOBER 2015 New Zealand Book Council06-10-2015
Reviews by Librarians, Teachers and Principals of the latest New Zealand books for junior readers
Wishes and Worries
Sarina Dickson, Illustration: Jenny Cooper
Kotuku Creative,
Ages: 5-10
Reviewer: Julie Newth, Teacher with Library Responsibility
Onepoto School
This is an emotional story, dealing with anxieties that, unfortunately, many children come to school every day loaded down by. It is extremely pertinent to the children of Canterbury but also to children country-wide.
The book is a wonderful read-a-loud and the use of language is descriptive and quite poetic. My favourite line being ‘A wish is a worry turned inside out’. I loved the idea that everybody needs ‘a tree’ to place their fears where they can be recycled.
The illustrations fit the story beautifully and the font changes throughout the text, making it very engaging for the reader and the audience; while the activities are well designed and would encourage children to talk about their fears and worries, and hopefully put into practice strategies that could ease their anxieties. The links to the curriculum at the back of the book are also great discussion starters.
A highly recommended read-a-loud, with lots of potential for further discussion.
PEER REVIEW: JUNIOR BOOKS OCTOBER 2015 New Zealand Book Council06-10-2015
Reviews by Librarians, Teachers and Principals of the latest New Zealand books for junior readers
Maia and the Worry Bug
Julie Burgess-Manning, Illustration: Jenny Cooper
Kotuku Creative, RRP: PB $14.90 (distributed for free to all Year 0-4 students children in the Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimakariki districts)
Ages: 5-9
Reviewer: Teresa Maguire, Team Leader Years 1-2
Miramar North School
This book has been created in response to the anxieties found in young children following the Christchurch earthquakes. It tells the story of Maia and her family and the appearance of a ‘worry bug’ who comes to stay and causes anxiety amongst all the family members. Mum worries about the family’s safety and fastens furniture to the wall, Dad checks on the family’s emergency supplies and Maia worries so much she feels sick and stays home from school. I like the way the book has personified anxiety in the form of a ‘worry bug’. The ‘worry bug’ grows as the family’s anxiety increases. Maia’s family eventually sit down and make a plan to deal with their worries, which shrinks the worry bug to almost nothing.
At the back of the book are a series of exercises and advice for families, with websites and contact details for agencies that can offer support. This will appeal to young students who may not be able to express their feelings. The book is very straightforward about the types of worries a family might have, but also provides a solution on how to deal with these concerns. This book has been well thought-out and is backed by clear psychological principles. It will be a useful tool for parents and teachers to help young students deal with the anxieties caused by the earthquakes.
Booksellers NZ
Book Review: Wishes and Worries by Sarina Dickson, illustrated by Jenny Cooper
Available in selected bookshops.
Wishes and Worries is part of a home-school resource for teachers and parents to use
when wanting to help children who are experiencing mild to moderate anxiety. The concept came about as a response to the aftermath of Christchurch earthquakes, when many children were demonstrating a need for help managing their worries. Utilising cognitive behaviour and narrative therapy, the book helps adults to help children in an easy-to-follow way.
Wishes and Worries is the part of the resource for teachers to use at school (Maia and the Worry Bug is the book for parents to use at home). It is designed to be read aloud, and then for NZ Curriculum-linked activities to follow within the classroom.
Dan has a constant stream of self-talk going – although for him it feels like it’s coming from external sources. He feels under pressure to let his mum get to work even though he’d like her support at school, as he finds it a high-stress environment. He really doesn’t want to be there, but he knows his mum will be frustrated with him if he tells her about it. The adults in his life don’t get what’s going on for him. Dan is carrying so much worry and fear (a rumbling truck causes him to hold his breath before he realises it’s only a truck) that it’s affecting his concentration. Luckily, he discovers an almost magical way to take control of his worries and turn them into something wonderful.
The follow-up activities are well-thought through and would be very easy for a teacher to use with no adaption required. They help children to identify their own worries, to think about how it affects their thinking and their bodies, and ideas for how they could address them within the classroom in a safe and supportive way.
While the book was written in response to the Christchurch earthquakes, it could apply to just about any situation that I can think of, including children who are anxious about lots of things, rather than in response to an event. Children have all sorts of worries, and adults often dismiss them with comments like “You don’t need to worry about that” or “You’re just being silly” – and these sorts of responses really don’t help, they just drive the worry underground. It’s so much healthier for children (and adults!) to identify their anxieties, realise their mental and physical responses, and deal with them accordingly. Wishes and Worries will definitely assist caring adults to help the children in their lives.
Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Rachel Moore, primary school teacher
Wishes and Worries
by Sarina Dickson, illustrated by Jenny Cooper
Published by Kotuku Creative
ISBN: 9780473319250
Booklovers
MAIA AND THE WORRY BUG, BY JULIE BURGESS-MANNING, Illustrated by Jenny Cooper
SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
Maia and the Worry Bug is a resource designed to help families with mild to moderate anxiety. Designed to be used at home, the plot centres around Maia, a young girl living in Canterbury post-quakes.
Something terrible has happened to Maia’s family, an uninvited Worry Bug has moved in. Having the Worry Bug around is exhausting, and it keeps getting bigger. Maia and her family must work together to get rid of it.
Writer Julie Burgess-Manning is a Family Therapist and NZ Registered Psychologist currently employed by the University of Otago as a Clinical Lecturer and also working in private practice.
The book came about when real-life Maia, who was four when the earthquakes first stuck, had a very hard time coping. Maia’s mum, Sarina Dickson was approached by Burgess-Manning who suggested anxiety might be the cause. After working successfully with Maia, the two decided to create a book to help more children.
Illustrations by Jenny Cooper are suitably terrifying, and the engaging story ramps up in such a way as to clearly demonstrate how small seeming worries can rise up to stifle us.
Maia and the Worry Bug is designed to help families talk together their troubles. It also gives guidance for how to manage them, with exercises for exploring anxiety and it’s effects on us and how to manage it, following the story. These are based on Narrative and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy principles.
This is part two of a two-part resource. Part one is a classroom-based book,Wishes and Worries, consisting of a story and exercises introducing ways to manage anxiety at school.
No family should have to suffer with anxiety, so it’s wonderful that these resources exist.
HEIDI NORTH-BAILEY |