Anxiety is a common response to the challenges of the last two years, not to mention the stress of everyday life, and children are just as susceptible to it as adults. We have noticed more people asking for books to help children manage stress, anxiety and depression. While there are no easy answers, and professional help is often needed, there are some useful techniques and it can be helpful for a young person to see a character in a book experiencing similar emotions to them.

Here are some of the Australian books that we recommend to support young people, grouped according to age.

Ages 3-6

The Underwater Fancy Dress Parade by Davina Bell & Allison Colpoys

Alfie has a beautiful shark costume all ready for the school parade, but his social anxiety prevents him from going. Instead, his understanding mum takes him to the aquarium where he sees a little fish that is just as shy as him.

Alfie doesn’t make it to that parade, but he does feel slightly better by the end of the day and thinks that maybe next time he will go. This is a gentle, reassuring story that allows kids to know that its ok to not feel ok sometimes.

Mr Huff by Anna Walker

Bill is not having a good day at all, and Mr Huff keeps following him around, making it worse. And the more down about it he gets, the bigger Mr Huff gets.

Mr Huff is a brilliant metaphor for children about negative feelings and how they just keep getting bigger if you don’t address them. It provides a gentle method of coping and is also a beautifully illustrated story by a masterful Australian storyteller.

Worries are Like Clouds by Shona Innes & Irisz Agocs

This book acknowledges that worries come and go, with some days we feel good and other days we might not want to get out of bed. Written by a clinical psychologist, it provides suggestions to shift worries and feel better in simple, accessible language for young children.

It is also part of a series that look at complex emotions and big changes. You can view the whole series here.

Ages 6-9

Hey Warrior by Karen Armstrong

This picture book by Australian psychologist, Karen Armstrong, clearly explains what anxiety is, where it resides in the brain (the amygdala) and why we behave the way we do when we are stressed or anxious. The illustrations are beautiful and there are lots of great suggestions for things kids can do to calm their amygdala and feel better.

There is also a companion volume, Hey Awesome, by the same author.

The Worry Tree by Marianne Musgrove

Juliet has a lot of worries and they are starting to become overwhelming. But then she discovers the worry tree behind the wallpaper in her room and her Nana helps her to put her worries in their place on the tree.

I shared this book with my daughter when she was younger and found it very helpful. You can print out a copy of the tree, write out the child’s worries on scraps of paper and put them on the tree. Just the act of naming worries and talking about them can be very therapeutic for a young person.

Ages 10-12

The Secrets We Keep by Nova Weetman

Clem Timmins has lost it all - her house, possessions and clothes. Now living in a tiny flat with her dad, she has to go to a new school far from what she knows. Clem makes a new friend, but isn’t fully truthful about her life and there’s a big secret that she is hiding.

Nova Weetman really understands young people and this novel is beautifully sensitive to the stresses of change and our desire to fit in. There is also a sequel about the protagonist, Clem, called The Secrets We Share that further explores her emotional challenges and how she faces up to them.