It’s hard enough for adults to deal with anxiety, but with children, it’s extra challenging. Author, Kathy Hoopmann, has written a book to help explain anxiety to children, in a way that they can understand. All Birds Have Anxiety is filled with vibrant colorful photographs of birds ( I know it sounds odd, but the pictures fit perfectly with each concept).
Having been raised on a farm in Australia, Hoopmann has been surrounded by animals all her life. I guess it’s a natural fit for her to use them as a way to teach children about issues. All Birds Have Anxiety is not her first publication. As a best-selling author, she has also penned:
- All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome
- All Dogs Have ADHD
- Inside Asperger’s Looking Out
- The Asperger Adventure series
About All Birds Have Anxiety
Life as a bird can be stressful! From worrying about airplanes, windows, and getting enough worms to eat, it is clear that birds can be anxious beings. Through a light-touch, quizzical depiction of bird behavior, All Birds Have Anxiety uses colorful images and astute explanations to explore with gentle humor what it means to live with anxiety day-to-day, and how to begin to deal with it.
With a background in teaching (as a primary school teacher and then obtaining a Graduate Diploma in Theology in Education), Hoopmann is well qualified to share thoughts and insights with the children that she writes for.
I’m the mom of 10, and I know a good children’s book when I read one…and All Birds Have Anxiety is EXCELLENT. I will be purchasing a number of copies, for some of my younger grandchildren, who yes, suffer from anxiety. I’m also going to make sure that our local library has one or more on their shelves.
The explanations are easy for children to understand, and the photos are so perfect. A Flamingo for talking about how one cannot pretend that things are all right…for a LONG time. A precious little chick snuggled next to a puppy showing that there are things that can be done, to help us feel better. At the end of the book there is a fabulous “glossary” of the different birds and photo credits, which has fascinated the eight year old that I’m with right now.
Learn More and Connect with Kathy Hoopmann: Facebook |Twitter | Email
I think this is an awesome topic, and I would have wanted this book when I was just a nervous kid.
On a relevant note, I watch the birds on our feeder all day long and they do have anxiety! And we have baby chickens that we’re raising for eggs and I notice their anxieties too.
This book would have been SO helpful when I was younger. We discuss these things with our kids all the time as I have anxiety like crazy.
This looks like a great book to explain anxiety to kids! I love the photos of the birds…they do look anxious! I watch the birds in our backyard too, but I didn’t realize they experienced anxiety!
Great topic. Anxiety is something that so many people deal with on a daily basis. This is a great way to explain to the kiddos about this topic as well.
Aw that is such a cute book! I love the wise eyed birds in the pictures! These are tough topics to talk about with kids so it’s great that the book could help.
Wow what a great topic and I wish I had this book back in the day when I was going through those nasty anxiety attacks. I’m still going to invest in the book for my youngest daughter, she sometimes have anxiety attacks and this book seems like it will provide her with great insight! Love the images within this book too.
Awww .. what a sweet way to explain a tough subject to children. I’ve suffered from anxiety off and over over the course of my life and it’s tough to even put words around. I wonder if we’d have talked about it more when I was a kid .. if I’d feel differently about it today
There are so many tools with a focus on kids wellness available now it is so fantastic
I really love this book! Anxiety is such a common issue for children and adults but it seems to be so taboo to talk about it. I love that the book opens up the conversation and allows kids to feel like others can relate and understand in a way that is fun and on their level. Thanks so much for sharing this!
This book looks like it is just perfect for kids who deal with anxiety. However, I think my boys would enjoy it solely because it is on the topic of birds. Great to know there are these types of resources available, though.
Somehow I never thought of this before. It just opened my eyes! Thank you so much for the post, it’s very helpful and informative!