Jack's Worry by Sam Zuppardi is a book I'd put in every classroom and maybe every home. It's a book for the very young, those in the middle, and adults of all ages. Worries happen. Jack has been preparing for his first trumpet concert every day and there is joyous music playing across a two page spread. The big day comes and so does a perfect shade of blue big oval worry. He tries to ignore this worry; it follows him. He tries to do different activities; it stays with him. Both of these strategies are distress tolerance skills. As the story progresses, so does the size of Jack's worry. It turns from a warm blue to dark gray. I love how it's not black. You can come back from gray! When Jack faces his worry, he finds the words to talk to his mom and share the root of his worry. She validates his thoughts and the middle of the worry turns a warm soft yellow. Then the worry shrinks. He discovers his friends have worries too and begins playing his trumpet with them and accepts when the worry comes true because he's enjoying himself. Thank you Jack for showing readers - pushing through worry thoughts can lead to enjoyment.
"Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act." (mental health.gov) I hope you find this post helpful in supporting mental wellness. "Wellness is an approach to preventing illness and prolonging life as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases." (dictionary.com) Let's be proactive in and out of our classrooms.
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