The message of “what first step can you take” is so darn applicable to adults and kiddos alike! I love this idea and need that posted around our house! What a lovely book to tackle kiddo anxiety!

Anxiety, executive dysfunction, or sensory concerns, this book has a great message about trying new things: break them down into smaller steps. Smaller steps are easier.

Sam’s mother knows that he’s about to face a lot of new challenges. A first playdate, going to a loud farm, and starting school. But she helps him through his worries with an exemplary calmness. There’s never any rush in this book, and Sam’s fears are taken seriously. Still, his mother guides him to try new things, broadening his horizons without causing undue stress. The book ends with a more in-depth 2-page spread for caregivers on how to utilize the step-by-step techniques of Sam’s mother.

The artwork is done in welcoming watercolors. All the kids are nice, safe, round shapes, making them seem friendly to a child reader. There can be a fair bit of whitespace, but it’s not used to excess. Most of the time, it’s because there’s multiple scenes to a page, and the whitespace separates them, while also giving a spot for the text to stand out.

This book is probably more of a library pick, rather than meant for your home collection, unless your own child has greater challenges and fears regarding new things.

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

“Every day, there are new things for Sam to try!
But new things can feel scary.”

Every day, there is something new to do or learn. But even as an adult, trying new things is hard for me. Fear of the unknown is uncomfortable and throws off our sense of security.

That ability to take risks and step out of our comfort zone is possible–we have to take it step by step.

This book is excellent for kids who feel anxious about trying new things. In the story, we meet Sam, who experiences new opportunities like visiting the farm, going to a playdate with a friend, and starting his first day at school. With the help of his mom, he learns to step out of his comfort zone, one step at a time.

The author, Kathryn Boger, is a board-certified child and adolescent clinical psychologist who focuses on helping kids who struggle with anxiety. At the end of the book, she provides a note to parents/caregivers filled with helpful information, discussion questions, and resources!

What I love most about this book is that it helps kids realize that two things can be true simultaneously (e.g., this is hard, AND you can do this). I only learned this both/and thinking recently, but I am so glad to help my children grow in this mindset and experience various emotions.

Thank you, NetGalley for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Excellent book about empowering children to become intuned with their emotions, communicate their fears, recognize their validity and to face them step by step. Invaluable to parents, educators and children.

A great book to help kids face their fears. I appreciate that it doesn't just tell kids to get over their feelings but instead gives an easy to understand way to handle those feelings. I can see this being a go to when a child expresses anxiety over a new situation. I just loved that it reassures children that their feelings are valid and helps encourage them to take small actions on their own.

Step by Step is the story of a young boy who deals with anxiety when it comes to trying new things. Going to a friend's house, going to a farm, and eventually going to his first day of school, Sam's mom helps him take one step at a time toward trying something new, giving him a little time and space to adjust to new things, and giving him the courage and knowledge that, step by step, he can handle whatever he decides to do!

I love that, at the back of the book, there is a section for parents and caregivers for tips on how to help kids overcome their anxieties and fears. These feelings are normal (even for adults!), and helping kids realize that what they feel is normal and that they can learn to overcome their fears and anxieties, is a lesson every child should learn! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC in exchange for my honest review on the book!

This book is coming out of the American Psychological Association and it’s a book to help kids face their fears. The child in this book has small fears like starting school, meeting new people, and going to a farm with very big animals., The child uses simple things like taking a moment, taking a breath, to get used to their fear and step it over and try new things. This book works very well. This book shows the character using the steps to help conquer the fear rather than telling the reader the steps and giving them some device to remember. Because of that, this is more likely to stick in children’s head. Overall, this book is well done and will be in classrooms and libraries for years to come.

Step by Step is a wonderful book about a young boy who is feeling anxious. With every worry I loved how his mom validated his feelings ("this feels scary") and then helped him take the lead, building his confidence ("what first step can you take?"). This is repeated throughout the book whenever he comes across a worrying moment. By the end Sam is internalizing his mom's response saying that it feels scary but he can handle it. I loved the element of taking it one step at a time and showing the progression of self regulation and self confidence. I would recommend this for every pre-school through 2/3rd grade classroom and especially for parents of children who worry or feel anxious.

Step by step bit by bit, we can handle it. This was a great message from this lovely little story.
Wonderful story teaching it’s ok to be scared and we all have to be brave sometimes and take things step by step.
Well written story the littles can enjoy and understand. Illustrations that match the story and crate a soft and comfortable feeling for the children to help better understand.
Interacting included in back to continue sharing and learning for parents and teachers.
Great story for home and classroom.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good book to help children overcome some anxiety. The helpful information at the end of the book is great to learn how caregiver can break down something overwhelming into smaller, manageable steps.

This picture book is all about helping kids overcome timidity and try new things. The book models parent/child conversations and shows how kids can approach experiences "step by step" to make things manageable when they feel overwhelmed. The story is repetitive and not particularly compelling, so this is mainly a teaching book, but it can a helpful tool for parenting or counseling. There is also a note in the back with more information for caregivers.

This charming and reassuring book is an excellent reminder to the anxious among us, both big and little, that small steps can make a big difference. Sam's mother offers an excellent example to parents and caregivers of affirming a child's feelings while also encouraging him to move safely beyond his comfort zone. The inclusion of sensory details, both external and Sam's internal sensations, are a fantastic addition to the text and offer children an opportunity to practice grounding and bodily awareness. Definitely a book we'll be adding to our library collection!

This was lovely. I greatly enjoyed the different examples of when a child might be nervous and this would be a great book to use to help cope with that. The step by step idea is great and if a child reads this book, they can know that slowly taking their time with something scary is helpful and a good idea. I also loved the colours and illustrations used, they worked very well for the story.

Step by Step is a great book about acknowledging and facing fears and about taking a breath and being brave to just just the next step needed to go forward. As a parent of a two-year old who is often anxious about new things and experiences, this was a great book for him. He understood that Sam was scared and that his mom was helping him feel calmer. This is definitely a book I'll be getting and we'll be reading on repeat and my son grows to help him build skills to deal with new experiences.

Thanks to the APA, Magination Press, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was cute! The illustrations were so soft and comforting. I'd especially like to not the Reader's Note section in the back! SUCH GOOD stuff.