This was a spectacular children's book about anxiety and finding coping mechanisms to manage it more on a daily basis. I have dealt with severe anxiety for as long as I can remember (am now 30yo) but wasn't formally diagnosed until I was 20 years old (due to misdiagnosis with other mental illnesses). I can say for sure, that this short story would have been a great help for me as a kid and probably would have facilitated a lot of good conversations surrounding mental health between me and my parents.

The illustrations were cute and simple which I think will work well for the intended audience age. I really liked how when the author utilized the simile of comparing anxiety to a book that you're constantly carrying around, the illustration conveyed that as well. It's also just a great comparison in general! Continuing with that, the dad's metaphor of "that book has been in my backpack my whole life" was a great way to show both Destiny (the young main character) and the children who will read this story, that even adults have moments of doubt and worry.

Last couple of items I wanted to note/applaud -- spelling out the enunciation of a scientific/medical word to help children learn to pronounce it on their own, showing other children around Destiny also experience worry/fear but we don't always know it, adding a fidget item for distraction, and the "tips for caring adults" at the end.

Definitely going to be buying this book for my nephew & niece and recommending it to friends who have young, school age children.

Very helpful book for students on coping with anxiety. In this case, the focus is on giving a book report and mastering the steps to speaking in front of your class. The guidance is helpful and comforting and the tone is absolutely appropriate. A lovely book which, I hope, will help out students. I made part of my living as a public speaker/teacher, so I am familiar with the approach this book takes. It does work! Good success to you.

This a great book for kids who struggle with anxiety. It includes practical tips that kids can use right away. This would be good for counselors, elementary teachers, parents.

A very colourful children's book, I loved the art from the very beginning of the book. Following a girl named Destiny Davis, she's very smart, but also very anxious. But what is anxiety, and what is it's impact on not only our day to day life, but also on our bodies? This is a great way to explain everything to your child, or an anxious child in your life, to let them know how to work through what they're feeling.

Anxiety is a very heavy illness to live with. You're always jumpy, scared, and assuming the worst. It's the constant what ifs, what if my friends don't like me, what if i don't pass this big project coming up, what if my parents forget to pick me up after school. Anxiety makes every day life scary and unpredictable. But it's important to stop it before it gets too out of hand, and say "Hello, Anxiety." once in a while, and put it in its place.

Overall this was a very quick and easy book to read, and think it would be super helpful for not only kids with anxiety, but also adults around the kids with anxiety to help them know what's really going on. Definitely recommend if you're looking into it, it's great for all ages.

This book is cute! It’s a cute book for adults to read to their children and children to read to help understand when they do have anxiety. I also loved that it’s a person of color family :)

*as someone with anxiety as well, it is best described as being carried around like a book.

As an adult who deals with daily anxiety, and a mother of children with anxiety, I of course was drawn to this book. I thought it was fantastic!!

Hello Anxiety written by Jessica Sinarski and illustrated by Simone Douglas, follows a young girl named Destiny. Destiny, also known as DeeDee, has always struggled with anxiety in different situations, but needs help when she has to prepare for a book report. She gets so anxious and overwhelmed that even the thought of picking out a book to read is too much! But Dee Dee is lucky to have caring adults in her life who are able to help her come up with some ways to process her thoughts, and quiet her anxiety.
I really enjoyed this book, and the way it normalized both kids and parents experiencing anxiety. I appreciated the caring relationships shown between the main character and her parents as well as her teacher, and how Destiny recognized in the book that she was not the only student feeling anxious. I also loved that the book ended with tips for caring adults - these are so important for helping kids to grow!
Thank you to NetGalley and to the author, illustrator, and publisher of this book for an ARC in exchange or an honest review.