The Bouncing Worry Ball and Mighty Mitt

by Leslie Brody

Suzie has food allergies and has become scared to eat many foods, even some that she isn’t allergic to. She’s also afraid of catching germs that will make her sick, so she won’t touch her dog, Teddy. Her fears keep her from having fun at home, at birthday parties, and on playdates. In this clear, engaging, and informative book, children with allergies and anxieties can learn how to face their fears by using cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness techniques. In Suzie’s case, this means imagining a Bouncing Worry Ball who partners up with Mighty Mitt. The book is designed so that children can color and draw their own pictures, as well as add their own ideas, while learning powerful tools to manage their anxiety. The book includes a list of resources about children’s allergies and anxiety for parents.

68 pages, Paperback

First published June 26, 2012

About the author

Born in the Bronx, New York, Leslie Brody left home at the age of 17 to become an underground press reporter for the Berkeley Tribe. A year later, she set off to travel around Europe. From 1971-1976, Brody lived in London and Amsterdam, sampling various hippie occupations. She returned to California in the late 70s and worked as a librarian both at the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science, and for the Sierra Club, while attending college at San Francisco State University. Leslie Brody has won the PEN Center USA West prize and a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship, and several awards for her playwriting. She is the author of the memoir Red Star Sister and the story collection A Motel of the Mind and teaches full time at the Creative Writing Department of the University of Redlands. She lives in Redlands, California.