Ruby Finds a Worry

by Tom Percival

Overview

The beloved picture book about what to do when a worry won't leave you at alone — perfect for reassuring young readers in times of stress.

Meet Ruby — a happy, curious, imaginative young girl. But one day, she finds something unexpected: a Worry. It's not such a big Worry, at first. But every day, it grows a little bigger . . . and a little bigger . . . . Until eventually, the Worry is ENORMOUS and is all she can think about.

But when Ruby befriends a young boy, she discovers that everyone has worries, and not only that, there's a great way to get rid of them too . . . she just has to share her feelings.

This perceptive and poignant story is the perfect springboard for talking to children about emotions and anxieties.

The Big Bright Feelings picture book series provides kid-friendly entry points into emotional intelligence topics — from being true to yourself to dealing with worries, managing anger, and making friends. These topics can be difficult to talk about. But these books act as sensitive and reassuring springboards for conversations about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence, and managing feelings.

Read all the books in the Big Bright Feelings series!

Ruby Finds a Worry
Perfectly Norman
Ravi's Roar
Meesha Makes Friends
Tilda Tries Again

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547607242
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	08/03/2021
Series:	Big Bright Feelings Series
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	24,275
Product dimensions:	9.25(w) x 11.75(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Tom Percival is the author and illustrator of the Big Bright Feelings picture books — including Ruby Finds a Worry, Ravi's Roar, Meesha Makes Friends, Tilda Tries Again, and Perfectly Norman — in addition to Herman's Letter, Herman's Vacation, and Bubble Trouble. He is also the author of Goat's Coat. He writes and illustrates in his native United Kingdom where he lives in a town called Stroud with his family.
tom-percival.com

Editorial Reviews

06/03/2019

A girl named Ruby, clad in polka-dots and wearing puffy pigtails, loves to visit “wild, faraway places” and swing on a swing. But while in a peaceful, wild garden, she’s unexpectedly visited by “a Worry”— a floating ball of yellow scribbles with anxious eyes and a furrowed brow. In Percival’s subtle art, featuring ashy and pale yellow tones, it starts out small, but “then the Worry started to grow.” Ruby tries to ignore it, but the Worry is there as she works on art projects and brushes her teeth; at school, it stops “her from doing the things that she loved.” Eventually she realizes that others have Worries, too. Percival treats worry like a natural part of life, including the idea that sharing worries with others is a good way to ensure “they never hung around for long.” Ages 3–6. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"Focuses on the socio-emotional health of children . . . providing a window for discussions about fear and anxiety." - Booklist, on RUBY FINDS A WORRY

“A priceless lesson for any child-or adult-conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner . . . A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Percival treats worry like a natural part of life, including the idea that sharing worries with others is a good way to ensure “they never hung around for long."” —Publishers Weekly

“A captivating tale about happiness, being yourself, and the magic of learning to spread your wings and fly.” —Foreword Reviews, starred review, on PERFECTLY NORMAN

“The message of acceptance . . . is presented in a child-appropriate and thoughtful manner.” —Booklist on PERFECTLY NORMAN

“An ideal selection for storytimes.” —School Library Journal on PERFECTLY NORMAN

“Percival's message is emphasized through the canny use of color as a storytelling mechanism: Norman's world is in greyscale . . . As the wings come out, Norman and everything he's near turns technicolor.” —Publishers Weekly on PERFECTLY NORMAN

“The contrast of black-and-white illustrations with splashes of bright color complements the story's theme. . . . A heartwarming story about facing fears and acceptance.” —Kirkus Reviews on PERFECTLY NORMAN

From the Publisher

★ 2019-05-08
Ruby is an adventurous and happy child until the day she discovers a Worry.

Ruby barely sees the Worry—depicted as a blob of yellow with a frowny unibrow—at first, but as it hovers, the more she notices it and the larger it grows. The longer Ruby is affected by this Worry, the fewer colors appear on the page. Though she tries not to pay attention to the Worry, which no one else can see, ignoring it prevents her from enjoying the things that she once loved. Her constant anxiety about the Worry causes the bright yellow blob to crowd Ruby's everyday life, which by this point is nearly all washes of gray and white. But at the playground, Ruby sees a boy sitting on a bench with a growing sky-blue Worry of his own. When she invites the boy to talk, his Worry begins to shrink—and when Ruby talks about her own Worry, it also grows smaller. By the book's conclusion, Ruby learns to control her Worry by talking about what worries her, a priceless lesson for any child—or adult—conveyed in a beautifully child-friendly manner. Ruby presents black, with hair in cornrows and two big afro-puff pigtails, while the boy has pale skin and spiky black hair.

A valuable asset to the library of a child who experiences anxiety and a great book to get children talking about their feelings. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews