As a psychologist who has worked in schools and private practice, Colin King knows the toll anxiety can take on children.

“Anxiety and stress can hold kids back,” says Colin, associate professor in the Faculty of Education at Western University. “It can be debilitating. It can prevent you from living your life.”

But he also knows anxiety can be managed with early intervention. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Colin and his team launched the Anxiety Storybook Project. Together they reviewed hundreds of children’s storybooks to identify those that spoke to various types of anxiety, such as grieving the death of a loved one or separation anxiety.  

“We’re bringing together clinical evidence and storybooks that parents and caregivers can use at home to start conversations and respond differently to problematic levels of anxiety,” says Colin, who is also the director of Western’s Mary J. Wright Child and Youth Development Clinic.

There are about 200 books on their curated list, which is part of a larger resource guide, Supporting Knowledge & Skills in Managing Anxiety Using Storybooks. The guide is available for free online and the books can be found in most schools and public libraries.  

The collection covers a wide variety of anxiety-inducing situations, such as Wilma Jean the Worry Machine, which depicts experiences of generalized anxiety and how worry can manifest itself in children when they focus on the ‘what ifs.’ Another is First Day Critter Jitters, which explores separation anxiety and dealing with new situations like the first day of school.

Colin says the books and related materials are meant as a first step in helping children and parents understand anxiety and begin talking about it.  

“Our work has been motivated by the question, ‘What if we could deliver and share the evidence-based information we’ve gathered in our therapy rooms and get it into conversations happening at home?’”

And those conversations, informed by storytelling, help families ease into an understanding of what the child is experiencing.  

“There are a number of barriers that get in the way of families understanding their child’s anxiety. This is new to them and hard to figure out. For example, some parents think if their kids would just pull up their socks and try a little bit harder maybe things could be different. However, we know that without intervention, anxiety can become more problematic later on for many children.”

The Anxiety Storybook Project is helping to address these misunderstandings and build mental health literacy.  

“It provides a language and context for what children are experiencing.”

So far the resources have more than 2,000 downloads in addition to the hundreds of physical copies that have been distributed to families at the clinic and through partnering organizations.

“We've had several school boards express interest in sharing this resource with families in their schools.”

Colin believes the materials can give children and parents hope.  

“We can empower kids and families with the tools to move forward. Kids learn ‘hey, I'm much stronger than I initially believed. I’m more capable and resourceful than what anxiety's been telling me.’ Kids hold on to those early lessons. It can change their life’s trajectory.”