Every now and again we receive a book which manages to completely take my breath away. It doesn’t happen very often (we read A LOT of stories!) but when it does I know that we have discovered something special. ‘Cheeky Worries’ is one of those books.
Finn is a little boy like any other. He loves having adventures, playing on the slide and going to parties – and most of all he loves to pretend to be the driver when he sits onthe bus. But then one day something strange happens…
As he sits in his favourite spot he suddenly has a scary thought – what if his mum got off the bus and left him behind? Later that night he starts to worry that there might be a monster under his bed, and the next day at the park he worries about what would happen if he slipped and fell off the slide. Finn is so consumed by these thoughts that he stops having fun.
Fortunately he meets a wise owl who explains to him that these are called cheeky worries – little thoughts which sneak in without asking and make you feel scared. The owl calms Finn’s fears by explaining what these worries are, how to recognise them and how to face them.
After imparting his wisdom the owl gives the boy a magical feather to help him on his way. Finn notices that the owl is a little bald in patches so he must have given many feathers away. Is it possible that lots of people experience cheeky worries, just like him?
This is such a simple book but it’s extremely effective. Written by a psychologist and a psychiatrist, it breaks down the issue in terms which are easy for small children to understand and then gives them the tools to deal with their own fears.
The subject matter is serious but it’s written in a really engaging way. Ivy was drawn in by the gorgeous illustrations and I could see that she was able to relate to Finn’s fears. We have adopted the phrase ‘a cheeky worry’ and it’s been very useful for addressing concerns she has had during lockdown – and I imagine it will be a great help when she starts school in September too.
Buy it now: https://amzn.to/3hQ5Mk1
You can also download a great .pdf from www.cheekyworries.com which guides parents through the psychological principles which have been woven in to the story.
Disclosure: The author provided us with a copy of this book in exvhange for an honest review.