– Letting Go Of Your Worry Bug –
Author: Kimberly Delude
Illustrator: Brian Martin
Publisher: Boys Town Press (August 10, 2019)
- Paperback: 32 pages
Genre: Picture Book
Publisher’s Description:
Betsy the Beetle has a constant companion, Murray. Unfortunately, he’s a notorious and pesky worry bug. He loves to whisper horrible “what ifs” into Betsy’s ear, making her worry about every little thing. Betsy gets so flustered and weighed down by Murray, she repeatedly falls flat on her back – stuck legs up – and has no idea how to get back on her feet. That’s why Betsy’s friends hatch a plan to get rid of Murray once and for all. Will it work? Will Betsy be able to kiss her worry bug goodbye forever?
This tale about trying to stop anxiety in its tracks is the latest addition to the Freddie the Fly book series.
Extend the learning with the accompanying downloadable activities!
My Thoughts:
This is a nice attempt to address the worries and concerns of older picture book readers. I say attempt because there is no miracle cure that I’m aware of for “what if” people or I would have jumped on it years ago! You see, I’m a person who likes to anticipate and prepare for all things. In other words, have control of every situation. Hmmm, now that can be pretty hard, can’t it? So I say attempt to help little ones. But enough attempts and situations might become easier and easier.
Betsy the Beetle is a what if worrier. Though Murry, her worry bug, is notorious for causing trouble, I tend to think Murry is wanting to be helpful and not naughty. Perhaps Murry thinks he’s helping Betsy by trying to prepare her for upcoming problems. Maybe he thinks Betsy can’t handle certain situations.
The book offers a method of assuring Murry that Betsy is quite capable of handling all situations. She can thank him, then practice the FLIP method which is explained in the book.
Thank you #NetGalley and #BoysTownPress for allowing me to review this ARC.
What Concerned Me:
This is a very small concern, but the text is sometimes black, red, pink, blue, etc. I don’t think it necessarily helped the story.
What I Liked Most:
This has colorful illustrations and offers a very good, simple method of trying to help children who are worriers. The FLIP method could easily be reinforced by making a simple bracelet or fun keychain with letters, etc. to help remind children of this simple idea.
About The Author:
Kimberly Delude, MA, CCC-SLP, worked for a national sports team before earning her MA at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst’s Department of Education. Kimberly has her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech and Hearing Association, and works as a Speech Language Pathologist in the public schools.
Kimberly’s entertaining yet effective teaching style is evident in her stories about popular character Freddie the Fly (and his friends), along with the tips and activities available for each of her books. She spends her days giving kids a voice and uses her humorous tales to help children have fun while improving their communication skills.
