The Worry Balloon

(Hardback)

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Description

On the first day of school, Isla's mind plays the what if game. Scary thoughts come, the world goes dark, and everything feels stormy. With Mami at her side, Isla takes a deep breath and blows her worries away in a big balloon. But as school gets closer, Isla's worries come back like a tornado. Mami encourages her to imagine something happy, and Isla remembers there's nothing she can't handle. The storm might come again, but for now, her mind is quiet. In this thoughtful and reassuring picture book, Mnica Mancillas's text and Betty C. Tang's illustrations show how one child experiences anxiety and worry, providing different tools to practice mindfulness and strengthen one's mental health.

Reviews

"Anxious readers will recognize themselves in Isla's struggle and perhaps learn a new way of approaching their fears. . . Sure to help kids conquer first-day-of-school fears." - Kirkus

Author Bio

Mnica Mancillas authors books for children of all ages, as well as adult fiction. She received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley before pursuing a decade-long career in the recording industry. Her picture book, The Worry Balloon, is inspired by the challenges she, and those she loves, sometimes face managing anxiety; and the tools, great and small, that have helped them to walk through each of those challenges. Visit her at monicamancillas.com. Betty C. Tang is a New York Times bestseller illustrator of the Jacky Ha-Ha graphic novel. She earned her BFA from CalArts and after a successful animation career, she is now passionate about creating books for children. Betty loves squirrels and hates roaches. Born in Taiwan, she currently lives in Los Angeles, California. Visit her at bettyctang.com.