THE DON'T WORRY BOOK

Simple comforts for young fretters and overthinkers.

Recycling themes and even some images from The I’m Not Scared Book (2011), Parr first enumerates a selective
list of things that can cause anxiety (fears of the dark or of having to go to
the doctor, having too much to do, being bullied) and times that worrying can
happen. The latter include lying awake in bed, watching TV, “looking at
screens too much” (a frazzled-looking person holds a tablet), and
overhearing “bad news”—exemplified with an image of a flying saucer,
travelers from abroad (of one sort or another) being much on people’s minds
these days. He then goes on to general coping strategies ranging from taking
deep breaths to visiting friends, dancing, squeezing a toy, or just thinking
about “everyone who loves and takes care of you!” “Worrying
doesn’t help you,” he concludes, but talking about concerns will. Readers
searching for books that address deeper-seated anxiety might be better served
by Me and My Fear, by Francesca Sanna (2018). In Parr’s thick-lined,
minimally detailed illustrations, the artist employs his characteristic
technique of adding blue, purple, and bright yellow to the palette of skin
tones; he also occasionally switches out human figures for dogs or cats
behaving as people would. It’s a strategy, though it leaves the cast with a generic
look overall.

Vague, slapdash reassurances to readers growing up in a worrisome
world. (Picture book. 2-5)