🌪 Book Review: What to Do with Your Whirly Swirly Thoughts by Jennie Allen

If your child has ever wrestled with big, tangled thoughts, What to Do with Your Whirly, Swirly Thoughts offers a warm and whimsical invitation to bring calm to the chaos. Jennie Allen gently introduces young readers to the concept of spiraling thoughts—and provides a faith-based way to pause, pray, and refocus.

🎨 The illustrations are vibrant and engaging, making the emotional journey feel safe and accessible for little ones.
🧠 The message? You don’t have to believe every thought that pops into your head—and you’re not alone in untangling them.

As a tool for early mental health literacy, this book shines. It blends spiritual wisdom with psychological insight in a way that feels age-appropriate and uplifting.

Why not 5 stars? This NETGALLEY had the worst formatted one i have ever received. It was hard to follow and wasn’t able to read it to my child because of it.

✨ A beautiful resource for parents, teachers, and caregivers who want to help kids name their feelings and turn to faith for peace.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own.

I found this book to be helpful and beautifully illustrated. It's full of helpful tips to getting those not so great thoughts to go away.

One thing I wish was included was a little blurb in the back stating sometimes those whirly thoughts can be more serious and maybe a visit to your faith leader or doctor is necessary.

The illustrations are fun and engaging for any age.
This book could have been so much more, and honestly, I expected it to be more. The subject has a lot of potential, but the book fell short and felt lacking. The book does cover brain-training and the importance of sharing your overwhelming thoughts to help let them go and stop ruminating; whether with your safe adult (parent, teacher, etc.), a friend, or G.d (The Creator).

I enjoyed reading this story; it gives great tools for dealing with our thoughts. This book would be a great introduction to mental health awareness and the importance of safely expressing your feelings and thoughts. I love the illustrations; they are colourful and grab children's attention. I hadn't realized this was a religious book, so the aspects of God and Jesus caught me off guard. Having religion within the book makes it harder to recommend it to others and to use this book within the classroom.

This children’s book is a much needed tool for parents in approaching and even placating anxiety in our children. The book outlines the following child-level concepts through a spiritual lens:

-We have thousands of thoughts a day
-Our thoughts can be happy, angry, silly, or worried
-We have exciting thoughts, thoughts to do math and thoughts as we talk to Jesus
-Some of our thoughts can be scary and bad thoughts
-And when we keep thinking about them, they grow and grow and crowd out good thoughts
-Our brains are gifts from God-He put us in charge of them so we can tell those bad thoughts to stop and think good thoughts and things we are thankful for instead
-In training our brains with practical and Biblical ways to renew our minds and the thoughts that whirl and swirl around in our brains, we can learn to choose our thoughts

I also adore the vibrant and colorful, whimsical illustrations throughout this story that appear as road maps, whirly clouds, winding slides and musical scores. I envisioned my own churning thoughts as I read the book and eventually became their “boss” as I traveled along and replaced them with thankfulness and joy.

I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

I thought this book was very bright and the illustrations were wonderful. The topics covered were handled well and I think these are very important things to be teaching children (so they are more equipped to handle it as adults). I didn’t think the religious references would be so blatant, so I was a bit caught off guard. I think this would be good book for religious families but there are likely better options for those who aren’t very religious.

This was such a colourful blast! I absolutely loved this book. I haven’t read Jennie Allen’s Get Out of Your Head yet, but I can definitely see how this children’s book could be considered a kid-friendly version of it. It beautifully tackles the topic of our thoughts—especially those whirly, swirly ones that seem to grow bigger and bigger if we don’t catch them in time.

The illustrations by Nadia Gunawan are gorgeous—bright, cheerful, and full of life. They give off a total candy store, candy cane vibe that will immediately capture the attention of little readers (and adults too!). The visuals perfectly match the theme of the book, making it not only fun to read but also engaging to look at.

The message is powerful: we do have the ability to choose what thoughts we let grow. Negative thoughts can spiral quickly, but this book gently teaches kids that they can reject lies and replace them with gratitude, truth, and even physical activity. It’s hard to stay anxious or worried when you're building your body, mind, and soul with good things. This isn’t just about stopping bad thoughts—it’s about replacing them with better ones.

Jennie Allen does a fantastic job making the concept of “taking every thought captive” (as mentioned in Scripture) accessible to kids. This book is about fighting the battle of the mind through faith, thankfulness, and intentional thinking. It’s truly a beautiful resource for helping kids learn to renew their minds and trust in Jesus.

This is an excellent Sunday school resource and would make a thoughtful gift for young children. I’m so grateful to NetGalley and Tommy Nelson for providing me with a copy of this book. I highly recommend it!

What to Do with Your Whirly, Swirly Thoughts by Jennie Allen and illustrated by Nadia Gunawan is a ridiculously adorable book to deal with a very important topic that many children suffer from in our society today.

As a mother of several children with anxiety and “whirly, swirly, thoughts”, I think that this book approaches the topic in a very child-friendly way and helps children to see their own experience as normal. The book shows children that their brains and the thoughts therein are gifts from God which they can (with help) control. It makes complex and scary things very approachable and discussable even with small children. Well done!
This book is beautifully illustrated with bright eye-catching pictures that include children from many racial backgrounds and physical abilities. I particularly like seeing the pictures of the children in wheelchairs seamlessly interacting with ambulating children!

This book is one that I am very excited to share with my children and can wholeheartedly recommend!

Many thanks to Jennie Allen, Nadia Gunawan, Tommy Nelson, and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are offered freely and are entirely my own.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

Hold every thought captive is the theme of the book and I loved it . This is a children's book so it is full of illustrations , easy to read and understandable . It is an important book that helps children understand that everyone has thoughts that may necessarily who they are and what to do when that happens. Enjoyed it and recommend it to every parent.

Here "whirly, swirly thoughts" are those nasty, persistent, negative ones – doubt, anxiety, and anything else that makes us worried, sleepless or just plain cranky. But we can control our brain – we can talk these emotions away, or get them actively absent through physical activity, or demand of our brain it concentrates on what makes us thankful. This is definitely gaudy and colourful enough for a young audience, but it is only suitable for a heavily religious one – here, god has done nothing to give us these thoughts but all the powers to get rid of them and control our minds? Yup – his. It's done as well as could be achieved, and yet it's not something I would recommend. To the religiously-minded, it's definitely worth considering.

📚 Recommended Ages: 4–8

What to Do with Your Whirly, Swirly Thoughts is a gentle, affirming, and useful tool for helping kids begin to understand that they are in charge of their thoughts—not the other way around. Whether those thoughts are anxious, scary, or just plain mean, Jennie Allen guides readers through what it means to recognize, name, and redirect them in a way that feels empowering without being overwhelming.

What I especially appreciated about this book is how it offers practical strategies for kids to try when their minds feel like a whirlwind. These aren’t just abstract ideas—they’re hands-on exercises, easy enough for a child to grasp with a little help, and meaningful enough to make a real difference. It’s a book that doesn’t just soothe, it equips.

My five-year-old loved the illustrations—bright, engaging, and full of whimsical movement that perfectly reflects the swirling thoughts the book describes. While younger readers may need a few read-throughs to fully grasp the message, this is definitely one of those books that’s meant to be revisited.

What makes this book stand out is how it weaves together psychological circumstances with faith so seamlessly.
The closing message—“You have a choice”—is such a powerful takeaway for kids. Thoughts and feelings may come and go, but how we respond is something we can learn to guide.

This is one of those books to keep on the shelf, front and center. The kind you’ll want to pull out on the tough days, when emotions feel too big, and your little one needs a reminder that they’re not alone—and that they’re more powerful than they think.
What to Do with Your Whirly, Swirly Thoughts will be published April 29, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tommy Nelson®, Thomas Nelson®, Jennie Allen (Author), and Nadia Gunawan (Illustrator) for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

"What to Do with your Whirly, Swirly Thoughts" by Jennie Allen helps readers through difficult time. An author's note at the beginning explains the text and introduces the religious presence inside the text. The book does help readers work through things that can be out of their own control. Different emotions and thoughts are discussed and the author asks readers questions to build interactivity. Recommended for a religious school or family purchase.

As a mom I was so happy to find this book. So thankful to NetGalley and the publishers for being able to enjoy this book.
This wonderful book helps show kids that we can let go of those feelings and emotions that can weigh us down. They are those thoughts that swirl around and can upset us and our lives. I love how the author shows us that God created us and He wants to help us with those scary, anxious and mean thoughts that swirl around in our minds. She shows them that God gave them the ability to get rid of those thoughts.
So wonderfully written with bright, engaging illustrations. Such a creative way to show our littles, and adults, that God can help them and that those thoughts can go away.
A great story to share with your family. A MILLION STARS

The book did a good job of describing the thoughts and obstacles that come with anxiety. Additionally, the underlying belief system and trusting God with your thoughts was clearly laid out in the book. I may have missed this was a faith based book and while I connected and enjoyed it, I would just make sure it's clear to the reader. The illustration and the colors keep the book interesting and will catch the attention of the little ones this book is read to. The content was not too childish that this could not be used with adolescents.

I loved this on so many levels. I love how practically it addresses and teaches children. It’s also a great reminder for us adults too. The story is a straightforward and concise reminder of how to face our emotions. Lastly, the illustration are colorful and adorable.

Thankyou for this ARC copy. I've seen some of Jennie's work before so when I saw this book, I thought of my own child and knew I had to request to read it. This book contains a few nice and simple strategies that are explained in a child friendly and easy to understand way. The illustrations are aimed at younger children but the information explained in the way it is can still be useful for some slightly older children and even adults can take note of the strategies while they're reading it to their kids. I will post a review onto Amazon and Goodreads when it's published

This book is such a breath of fresh air for a parent of a kiddo with anxiety, who also struggles with it myself. The explanations and examples are presented in a way that even a young child can understand. The book provides those but also actions and strategies that can greatly help the child to make progress and hopefully overcome that anxiety. I personally appreciate the ties to the Bible and relationship with God, however this book would still be appropriate and helpful for a family who is not religious. I wish this book was around when my child with anxiety was younger, as I do think it is most appropriate for kids ages 8 and younger. I will still be reading it to him, even if he thinks he's too big! The illustrations and pictures are beautiful and I love the bright colors and detailed images. These are eye catching and gives the reader lots to take in on each page without being overwhelming. 5 stars from me for this super helpful and enjoyable book! Thank you to NetGalley and Tommy Nelson for this ARC.

Lovely illustrations, clear advice for children about how to respond to emotions of all kinds. Direct religious references (I should have expected this seeing the author's name, but forgot!)

I didn't ask for this. Why must people "sneak in" religious ideas into books that are seemingly unrelated to religion?? I went into reading this book thinking that it would be about how to manage thoughts that are created by anxiety. I was mostly right, but then the word came up: the big G. I totally agreed with the book when it said "you are in control of your own mind". This is great! But, then why bring in that guy? You give yourself control, no one else. Kind of dumb, in my opinion. Removing the religious tone of the book would really help push the message further, and it doesn't throw off readers that aren't Christian. For readers like myself, the religion makes the other (good) points of the book not matter as much. However, if you are really dead-set on including it, make that apparent in the title. Please. Lastly, the thing I liked most about this book were the drawings. They were so detailed and beautiful, making the book feel joyful and whimsical. Kudos to the illustrator.

This is such a beautifully illustrated book to help kids navigate the difficult emotions such as fear and anxiety. Beautiful illustrations, short and beautiful words easy for the kids to follow through. Also I loved that it's not very preachy and also advises the parents from the introduction to the parents:

"Sometimes anxiety, depression, or the effects of trauma are beyond our control. Please read these words with great compassion. Sometimes we need more help than redirection! Praise God for the help of counselors and doctors."

It's definitely important to add these but if you feel your child needs professional help, do not shy away from it. Thank you netgalley, author, illustrator and the publishers for the review copy in exchange for my honest review.