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Do you have a child who gets worried? Feels anxious? Kit and the Missing Notebook: A Book About Calming Anxiety by Chris and Lindsey Wheeler and illustrated by Carmen Saldaña is a children's book that teaches how to calm worries. It can help kids discover, through a charming story, how they can deal with their own fears and anxieties.
About the Book
Kit and the Missing Notebook is a 32-page hardcover book for ages 4-8. Kit is a young kangaroo who just moved to a new town with her family. The story starts with Kit wondering where her belongings are, as she is surrounded by boxes. She goes through the boxes, looking for her notebook. As she takes things out, like bubble gum and an extra pair of socks, she puts them in her pouch.
After she finally finds it, she goes outside and makes a list of the pros and cons of her new home. She meets two bouncing hamsters—Buddy and Bella—and promptly loses her notebook. If your children look closely while you are reading the story, they will even see when the notebook bounces out of her pouch.
Kit discovers the missing notebook and begins to panic. Buddy and Bella help her look, but they can't find it. Mrs. G, her neighbor, arrives and suggests soup. Mrs. G asks Buddy, Bella, and Kit to help make the soup. Kit hears the rice, feels a squishy tomato, smells the yummy aroma of the soup, and tastes its deliciousness. By the time she has had a bowl, she doesn't feel so anxious anymore.
Our Thoughts
I love the illustrations in Kit and the Missing Notebook. The colors are just bright enough to make the story pop. The text was easy to read, and the story was easy to read aloud. One of my favorite pages was where Kit is holding the tomato and cloud bubbles surround Kit with "chop chop chop" and "sizzle sizzle."
At first, I was concerned that the story would put the idea of anxiety into our children's heads. There are some children who hear of a problem and then suffer from it themselves. But the story is told in a way that really puts the anxiety on the character of Kit and not the reader or listener. But yet, a child could relate to Kit if the parent brings the idea to them.
I would have preferred to see both Kit's mom and dad. The book says she moved with her family, but it is not clear who that family is. I think it is very important to share with children stories where mom and dad are the parents, when so many stories, television shows, and movies depict single-parent homes. I understand single-parent homes exist, I came from one myself, but I also want my children to see families that look like their own.
I liked the authors' note at the back that explained how preparing Mrs. G's soup was actually one that helps those with anxiety. It's a great sensory activity that allows Kit to identify a sound, scent, tight, taste, and touch combined with a breathing exercise. And there is even a recipe for Mrs. G's Magic Soup!
I would recommend this book to families with children ages 6-9 who suffer from worry or anxiety. The only thing that would make this book perfect would be the inclusion of asking God for help when dealing with the worry.
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