This is a gem of a book with beautiful illustrations. I identified so much with the whippet and her views of the big, scary world. But, as Jess shows us, we can learn to navigate difficult situations. Guided by the cutest whippet, I enjoyed the stories tremendously.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for an advance copy. I will be buying my own!

This book caught my eye since one of my friends just bought a whippet. "Worried Whippet" is an illustrated book by Jess Bolton, marketed as a gift book. The illustrations by Anna Pirolli are fantastic: lovely, colorful and realistic, not "cartoony" at all. Through several chapters we follow Jess, a nervous whippet. Jess has a loving human family, but the big world is scary and challenging at every turn. Jess makes friends with various animals, learns to be braver and try new things, thanks to the support of friends and family. The book has a sweet message that really hits home if you are an anxious person (like me). I think children will love this book, especially those who are anxious and/or love dogs. There are some silly and funny moments to balance out the more difficult emotions. I don't know if I would gift it to someone with anxiety, however; that would feel presumptuous. But children as well as dog lovers will surely enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Available September 5, 2023

With nice little illustrations you get to see a little dog, called Jess, deal with the everyday anxieties that a lot of people will come across in their life. It shows what anxious thoughts can feel like and how Jess learns to cope with them with the help of a friend. Overall a nice story that someone with anxiety can relate to even if theirs doesn't manifest in all the same ways. Who doesn't like a story with dogs?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and even checked Jess's Instagram after. While the text was clear on my copy, the pictures appeared blurry. I moved from the NetGalley shelf app to my Kindle, and the illustrations became fragmented (like scrambled square puzzle pieces). I missed the illustrations dearly, as they added much context to the story. I could also see the editor's notes throughout (suggestions about moving text, for instance). The story overall was adorable, Jess was so sweet, and I loved the plotline with Buddy. I feel like Jess's conversations with Buddy are good parent/child dialogue, as well as the dialogue we sometimes have with ourselves. "Your feelings are real, but I promise the monsters are not" made me tear up a little, and so did Jess making a new friend at the end. Overall, this was an endearing story for all ages.
I will put this forward for my library's collection development as a middle-grade novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for free access to this e-ARC for my honest opinion.

Such a wonderful book and delightful story!! Jess learns how to manage her anxiety as the short stories progress through the book. The illustrations are beautiful and do nothing but add the book. Would recommend this read for adults and children alike. Everyone can use the tools taught in this book (or knows of a loved one who could use support in this area). Much love!!

Thank you so much to Harper Collins & Net Galley for the e-ARC of this book!

I'm waiting until publication day to post the full review, but I loved this sweet story about a little dog with big worries!

A very very cute book with lots of heart and an inspiring message.

My only thing is that I can’t tell if this is for adults or children.

As a person with some anxiety issues of her own and a huge love for dogs, I was excited to read Worried Whippet. It definitely features the cutest characters ever and I found the overall story and sentiments very sweet. I like that it is specifically marketed towards adults AND kids - adults need some lighthearted, moving stories too now and then, and the chokehold K. O'Neill's Tea Dragon Society-series has on me is strong and firm, even though it's officially middle grade fiction.

I still feel like Worried Whippet is much better suited for younger readers. I absolutely can't speak for everyone who suffers from an anxiety disorder and am genuinely glad for everyone who has found strength in the pages of Worried Whippet. To me personally, it read like a lot of platitudes that people with anxiety hear often. "What if people don't like me?" - "Well, they don't matter then!" Yeah, well, thanks lol
Likewise, the moral of the story didn't sit right with me: Whippet befriends a very outgoing dog who shows him that the things he finds scary actually aren't. It feels like the book's advice is "meet an extroverted friend and they'll make you better", which isn't how it works. I may read too much into it and I want to say that I don't believe you should be on your own with your issues - but I also believe our friends are neither qualified to teach us how to manage our illness, nor should they have to adopt that role.
Also, small tangent, my copy's quality was atrocious. I don't know if there was something wrong with the NetGalley app, but the images were so badly pixelated that it was impossible for me to appreciate how prettily they might have been drawn.

Worried Whippet is a very short and sweet picture book that you might like a lot if you love dogs and need some words of comfort. For me, it veered too much into old platitudes-territory to fully adore it, but I still found it very very sweet and was fully rooting for Whippet. Give it a go if such a lighthearted, comforting read seems like something you need right now!

- ARC provided by NetGalley -

This was a cute little graphic novel about an anxious dog learning how to approach new situations without being quite so afraid. He makes friends with another dog and a seagull and it’s a very cute story, but that’s about all it is, nothing really very remarkable. The pictures are very cute and I really liked the artsytle though.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Celebrate for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Even though Jess might be a small whippet, this felt so relatable and familiar, and you certainly don’t need to be a dog lover or even have one to appreciate the message. This story represents issues such as lack of self-confidence, anxiety and social fears, and it does so through the eyes of a little dog in a big world, so the image you get is the purest and simplest depiction of what’s it’s like to constantly worry about your surroundings. But as Buddy teaches: face your fears one at a time. Keep trying.

"It’s exhausting to always be so full of feelings"

The illustrations are adorable and heartwarming and give a sense a cozyness that fits the story really well. A quick and sweet read perfect for every age.

Adorable drawings. Great message. Very sweet story. Really cute picture book. Simple sentences, so easy quick read. No out of place paragraphs or anything. I like the character development of the main character.

As the owner of a sight hound, everything in this adorable graphic novel felt familiar. I didn’t know about this author’s social media presence before reading it but I was so thoroughly charmed by the book regardless.

'Worried Whippet' was the sweetest story, great for kids that love dogs! Thank you to the published and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Graphic novel told from the worried, shy dog's point of view. Encourages kids with the examples of the dog's simple acts of ordinary bravery. Also good as a way of empathizing with shy, nervous dogs or people. Good story and pictures.

I must say that i got intrude with this book. A narrative that depicts reality in its full capacity..
PRECISE AND INFORMATIVE
Although i am tempted to ask - "What is your source of inspiration to lay down a piece like this?"
I hope u pardon me for this inquisition but my curiosity got the best of me.

This book was absolutely adorable. It shows a really good and accurate depiction of someone with anxiety learning to get out of their shell. As someone who hasn't quite gotten there yet, I felt very connected to the Mc, and I was really sad when their friend moved away. But they deal with this anxiety by making a new friend who needs help, and I think that's wonderful.

The beautiful illustrations of a dog named Jess perfectly capture “worried dog eyes” and, combined with charming text, provide inspiration to all of us on the struggle bus, The book contains words of encouragement to help Jess overcome fear-based problems like reluctance to trust, making incorrect snap judgements, lack of self-confidence, fear of monsters, and other anxieties. Adventures take him from small, isolated, retracted spaces, to lovely, open beaches full of potential for growth and joy. Jess has adventures that make him braver. From safe havens like Jess’s friendship with Buddy and his home base of consistent and loving human care, which includes well-timed treats, Jess learns to have empathy for others. He learns to question his limited interior world, full of wrong first impressions and scary imaginings, like one involving a hungry seagull who, in reality, isn’t going to attack him, but just wants a treat too. Jess learns to trust enough to invite others into his small world, which expands after first considering, then trusting, the perspective of others. His eyes look happier, his body more free, with each courageous step he makes. This delightful book will resonate with anyone looking for inspiration to be braver every day. I’m so glad to have read this - So cute and helpful!

In a short picture book of cute illustrated scenes, an anxious whippet learns to approach the world with more openness and less fear, with the help of a doggy friend and a seagull.

I was drawn to this book because I love dogs and cute things, and I also worry a bit too much. Hah!

The illustrations are pretty to look at. The scenes seem to be aiming for a mix of amusing and touching. To me they seemed kind of hit or miss. Might borrow this from a library to read to a child, but I wouldn't get this for myself or another adult unless they had a thing for anxious whippets in particular.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Celebrate for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

Such a sweet collection of stories about a whippet who is learning how to become more courageous.
Really sweet way to talk about friendship, fear, and joy.
Also I love the artwork!!

A supersweet extended picturebook (is that a thing?) about an anxious dog called Jesse, slowly learning to accept other dogs and the world in general.

The illustrations are lovely, the story is nothing earthshattering, but it is everything nice.