Picture Books to Calm Back-to-School Worries

A new school year is exciting — and, for a lot of kids, quietly nerve-wracking. Worries about new teachers, new friends, and being away from home are real, and naming them out loud is the first step to shrinking them. These picture books help kids do exactly that.

Start here: I Caught a Thought

I Caught a Thought is a gentle social-emotional read that gives children a simple, concrete way to notice a worried thought, hold it up to the light, and let it go. It's a calm, reassuring companion for the first weeks of school — at home or in the counselor's office.

More books for first-day nerves

Pair it with The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn; Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes; and The Invisible String by Patrice Karst.

A small ritual that helps

The night before, read one together and ask your child to name one worry and one thing they're looking forward to. Naming both, side by side, is often all it takes to loosen the knot.

AcuteByDesign publishes picture books for the tender parts of growing up.

Find I Caught a Thought and more at acutebydesign.com.