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8 Children’s Books about Worrying for Elementary Teachers in 2024

Reading aloud children’s books to your elementary students is a great way to introduce and teach worry. Below is a list of our favorite picture books to teach this social emotional learning topic. They all lend themselves well to facilitating rich classroom discussions around worry. There Might Be Lobsters, Milo Imagines the World, Wemberly Worried and The Good Egg are part of our worry SEL Unit, which includes interactive read aloud lesson plans among tons of other resources for teaching worry. Learn all about these children’s books about worrying below and how you can use them to teach managing worry!

8 Children’s Books about Worrying

Below are 8 quality worrying children’s books for elementary teachers. Your kids will love these read alouds! They are great for teaching worry, as well as many other concepts and skills.

1. There Might Be Lobsters by Carolyn Crimi

Eleanor is ready for a day at the beach with her dog, Sukie. As we read, we learn that Sukie is afraid of many things at the beach, especially lobsters. By the end of the story, Sukie has to be brave and conquer her fear! This story provides an excellent mentor text for teaching about worry management and overcoming our own fears in times of need. My Worry SEL bundle includes an SEL lesson based on this picture book!

There Might Be Lobsters activityMilo Imagines the World book cover

2. Milo Imagines the World by Matt de la Peña

Milo and his sister are both experiencing a lot of emotions and feel like shook-up sodas as they travel on the subway. In order to manage his feelings, Milo begins to draw pictures of the lives he imagines the different people on the subway live. This story provides a helpful strategy through art to support managing our worries! My Worry SEL bundle includes an SEL lesson based on this picture book!

3. Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

Wemberly worried about absolutely everything- from shrinking in the bathtub to losing her parents in the middle of the night. Although her parents and grandmother try to convince her there is nothing she needs to worry about, she is not convinced. With the help of her teacher, Mrs. Peachum, Wemberly learns to manage her worries with strategies. This book is a great resource to use when students are feeling worried about the beginning of school! My Worry SEL bundle includes an SEL lesson based on this picture book!

three worksheets based on the book, Wemberly WorriedThe Good Egg activity

4. The Good Egg by Jory John

The fourth book on this list of children’s books about worrying is The Good Egg. In this story, the Good Egg works hard to keep the peace within his carton, so he takes charge and tries to fix their bad behavior. It exhausts him, making his head feel scrambled and ultimately causing his shell to crack from all the pressure! This story reminds us that we must control our own thoughts and behaviors before managing others. My Worry SEL bundle includes an SEL lesson based on this picture book!

5. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

Mother Bird felt a big jump- her baby was almost ready to hatch! As she went to get more food, the baby was born. We see the baby experience many emotions, including feeling lost, lonely, curious, and scared. By the end of the story, Mother Bird returns and the baby no longer has to worry! Students will be able to make connections to feeling worried or lonely. This book lends itself to having these discussions and sharing ways to solve their problems! Check out these Are You My Mother? activities!

Are You My Mother book coverTesting Miss Malarkey book

6. Testing Miss Malarkey by Judy Finchler

The teachers in the school keep telling the kids that the test isn’t anything to stress or worry about, but the students in the school start to notice that their teachers are acting weird. Miss Malarkey looks worn down and keeps biting her nails, the principal can’t stop yelling, they are served fish in the cafeteria instead of potato chips, and they have to meditate during gym. Even their parents are making them do more work at home. This story takes on a fun perspective of the students seeing their teachers be worried! Students can share different ways the stress and anxiety affected the teachers, which in turn, affected them. Check out these Testing Miss Malarkey activities!

7. Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz

The narrator runs past Tio Ernesto, Ms. Lee, and Frank at the bike shop. He was too tired and thirsty to stop! Eventually, he catches the Paletero Man in the park. But when he goes to pay, the narrator realizes he has dropped his money! Thankfully, his neighbors Tio Ernesto, Mrs. Lee, and Frank are there to give him the money they saw him drop. In this story, students will see the effect of being focused on worrying. The boy is so caught up in worrying if he will miss something, that he does not realize that he drops his money! Students will be able to make connections, empathize, and share strategies about the boy and his worries. Check out these Paletero Man activities!

Paletero Man book coverWhat the Road Said book and activity

8. What the Road Said by Cleo Wade

The last book on this list of children’s books about worrying is What the Road Said. In this story, a young girl is walking when she thinks about doing things differently. She wants to make a change, but seems hesitant. The Road tells her to be brave and to be strong. As the girl continues to question these decisions on the path, the Road reminds us that the most important thing is to keep going. This story shares that even if we worry, we are all capable of making the best decisions for ourselves. Students will remember that being curious and asking questions are a normal part of life! Check out these What the Road Said activities!

Integrated SEL and Literacy Activities

Below are some integrated SEL and literacy resources for elementary teachers.

SEL Unit

Our Worry Unit, which is available individually or as part of a year-long SEL bundle, includes lessons for the first four books on this list. This unit is packed with lesson plans, teaching resources, games, and activities. Click an image below to either get this individual worry unit or get ALL 30 SEL units!

Worry SEL UnitSocial Emotional Learning Units Bundle
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SEL Book Companions

As I mentioned earlier, I love teaching SEL skills using picture books. That’s why I created the Starts With a Story Collection. High quality children’s literature supports elementary teachers in delivering meaningful and accessible SEL lessons. All of the read alouds on this list are part of this book companion collection. Check out the book companions below!

There Might Be LobstersMilo Imagines the WorldWemberly WorriedThe Good Egg
Are You My Mother?Testing Miss MalarkeyPaletero ManWhat the Road Said

In closing, we hope you found this list of children’s books about worrying helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:

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