Wemberly Worried

Mouse Books

by Kevin Henkes

Wemberly worried about everything. Big things. Little things. And things in between. Then it was time for school to start. And Wemberly worried even more.  If you ever worry (or know someone who does), this is the book for you. Wemberly worried about spilling her juice, about shrinking in the bathtub, even about snakes in the radiator. She worried morning, noon, and night. "Worry, worry, worry," her family said. "Too much worry." And Wemberly worried about one thing most of her first day of school. But when it's time to go back to school and she meets a fellow worrywart in her class, Wemberly realizes that school is too much fun to waste time worrying! This warm and comforting back-to-school favorite is from Kevin Henkes, the nationally bestselling and celebrated creator of  Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse ,  Kitten's First Full Moon , and  Chrysanthemum. “This winning heroine speaks to the worrywart in everyone.” — Publishers Weekly  (starred review)

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, School, Friendship, Fiction, Emotion

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Kevin Henkes is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. As an illustrator he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon (2004). Two of his books were Newbery Medal Honor Books, Olive's Ocean in 2004 and The Year of Billy Miller in 2014. His picture book Waiting was named both a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and a Geisel Honor Book. It was only the second time any author has won that combination of awards.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Wemberly, she worries constantly about everything. If you help her see around one worry, it brings up another worry. This is about worry and anxiety in kids and a good way to see that other people are like this. My niece was a lot like this a few years ago.

She meets a friend at school, she starts school in the story which is her biggest worry. When she makes a friends she realizes she worries a little less. Friendship helps ease her anxiety.

It’s a sweet story well told with a good message.

The nephew is not someone who worries. If he does, he uses humor to get around it. He didn’t like this book so much. She gave this 2 stars and said not a whole lot funny happens here.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I love Kevin Henkes! He is a genius! I want to read all of his books!!! I can't wait to share them with my kids! I love how he looks at children's joys and hopes and fears with absolute RESPECT.

In this story, Wemberly (who is a GIRL mouse, I might add--from the cover and name, I expected a boy for some reason!) worries about big things (like something happening to her parents) and small things (like spilling juice), she worries about her bunny doll (and when she worries she rubs her dolls' ears and then she worries the ears will fall off eventually!) But her biggest worry is starting school!!! Her parents and super-cool grandma tell her not to worry so much... but maybe it will take facing the fears, with a new friend, to really make a difference.

What really struck me with this book is that Wemberly still DOES worry, sometimes. She gets over her biggest fears, and has fun at school, but it's not as if worries can be obliterated from life. Henkes is realistic and gentle, reassuring without being dismissive. Brilliant!

[Christian Schultheiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Child me really need to be exposed to this book because I was a definitive worry wort and maybe it was partially due to some less than always responsible adults in my care most times or maybe it was due to my overactive imagination and adhd or maybe it was both but hey I’m here and I’ve really grown to except there isn’t a control to everything and something’s both good and bad just happen and that’s something we all truly have to deal with but this was a charm and fun way at starting that exposure and understanding at a young age which helps make an overall more stable and rounded adult. 4.25/5

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, my mother called me a worry wart when I was a child so this probably would have been a perfect book for me. I now know some kids who are likely to appreciate this book.

Cute, funny, true.

Wemberly is a girl mouse who worries about everything, and the things she worries about really are things that children worry about, small, big, and in-between things. And, Wemberly’s fears do lessen by the end of the book, but there’s not some sort of happily ever after ending, and I really appreciate that.

I don’t think this was intended but I love how it subtly showed that telling someone not to worry isn’t particularly effective.

I especially liked the grandmother’s “go with the flow” tee shirt.

There are books specifically written for children with emotional problems. For anxieties, this would be a much better book to read than any of those. Excellent book.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little mouse with anxiety learns to unclench when she meets someone who shares her concerns.

This is one of the rare Kevin Henkes books my daughter didn't like. She was always dealing with her own anxieties and this seemed like a checklist of new things to worry about rather than being relatable or a reassurance that things will get better. I mean, one page literally shouts worries at the reader in bold type. Yikes.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Wemberly! She worries about everything, even stuff people would not normally worry about (like shrinking in the bathtub). The story is very cute for kids, and illustrates that most of the worries that trouble people never come to pass.

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice story with cute, expressive illustrations about an anxious little mouse and how, with the help of her family and school teacher, she learns to overcome her fears.

[Julianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

My anxious kiddo was bothered by this book and I can see why. The majority of the book focused on all of the various worries that Wemberly has (and they are many) and for my son, it stirred up more things to worry about in real life. While this book could be fine for kids that have typical childhood worries, if you have a child who has anxiety, this isn’t a book you’ll want to pick up. While I don’t expect every children’s book to have practical strategies modeled for kids to learn from, this one had all worry and no helpful behavior modeled by the characters. Her family literally just told her “don’t worry” (the most helpful advice for anyone with anxiety ever) and then coupled that with the equally helpful, “see, I told you there was nothing to worry about”. Towards the end, she gets anxious about starting school and it’s two pages full of her worst fears. The great solution to all of this is her teacher introduces her to a friend at school who is similar and her worries about school lessen throughout the day. That’s it-sheer luck that there is another anxious child in her class that she is paired up with. ONE of the dozens of worries that were brought up in the book were addressed (and it was something completely outside of the characters control- what if she never met the friend?). I never thought I’d be on Goodreads writing about a children’s book, but here we are.
TLDR; if you have a kid with anxiety, definitely skip this one, it’ll make it worse.

[Clara Jane Isch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes things work out better than expected!

[Gennie Hendrick]

I really like this story and I think this would be a great book to read to a child who is apprehensive about going to school for the first time, going to a new class/school, or if you have a worrier like Wemberly.

[Stefania · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually found it pretty terrible. This poor child has constant anxiety and the parents just dismiss her with “stop worrying”. The solution was to find a friend to play with, and that didn’t look at the root cause of the problem.

[Mr. Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written diddy about anxiety. Sweet and simple message.

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first graders really enjoyed this book and connected to it as well. Kevin Henkes never disappoints.

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this story, Wemberly, a young mouse, worries about everything! The author takes the readers through her list of worries – big ones and small ones. Wemberly worries constantly despite her grandmother telling her she worries too much. The source of her biggest worry is her first day of school. When she arrives however, her teacher introduces her to another student who also is carrying a doll and seems a bit shy. The two become instant friends and enjoy their first day of school together. As Wemberly leaves in the afternoon, she tells her teacher not to worry, that she will be back tomorrow!
The first thing I thought about as I read this book was my younger sister! Boy, was she a worrier and she would have really loved this book. I am a worrier, too, (but just quiet about it) so I could relate to Wemberly. The last page leaves you with such a warm feeling! This would be a great book for parents to read to their children before that terrifying first day of school, or by the teacher. I think that most young students could relate to Wemberly’s worries and knowing that they are not the only ones would be helpful! This book is a clear example of how, in picture books, illustrations reinforce the text. I am not used to having to look at illustrations to understand the text, but when I got to the page about Wemberly’s birthday party, I realized I could not fully understand why her mother told Wemberly, “See. There was nothing to worry about. “ I could not figure out why until I looked at the illustrations and short dialogue included on the page.

[Karissa Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a young mouse named Wemberly who worried about everything. Whether it was day or night and no matter how much her parents tried to comfort her, she was constantly worrying. When Wemberly had to start school that added to the things she worried about. It wasn’t until she met a girl named Jewel, who was just as shy as she was, that she learned her worries started to fade. This book is great for young reader from 1st or 2nd grade, because especially the beginning is simple sentences and there is repetition. But also could be a great book for parents to read to children who are nervous as well about starting school. Even though the main character is a mouse, she is very relatable and the book showed with time everyone will be able to find friends who have similar interests to them at school.

[Heather]

Text-to-Self Connection:

'Wemberly Worried' could only be a text-to-self connection for me! I grew up a worrier. I often made myself literally sick as a child as I worried about everything from the first day of school (I went to a new school every year until 5th grade) to a bad grade to softball games. I hated when I didn't know anyone in a room, I hated to disappoint anyone, I hated playing softball because I was terrible! I have found many ways to stop the worrying as a young adult and happily didn't suffer from it so much anymore... until I had my daughters. I feel like I worry more now than I did as a child! Like Wemberly, I see random things and fear the worst. My mind will go straight to the worst-case scenario in a split second. However, also like Wemberly, I usually find that I worried for nothing!

[Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting this book to be helpful for kids with worries or anxiety, given all the raves and recommendations for it, but I feel like it did the opposite. While I appreciate that it showed that other kids get worried too, it also gave a laundry list of worries that might include things that anxious kids didn't think to worry about (yet).

But what bothered me even more was there was no real message in the book that it's *okay* to feel worried. Adult characters tell Wemberly, "don't worry," over and over again, which just invalidates her very real feelings. The ending of the book seemed to reinforce that with a message of, "See, there was nothing to worry about," which can feel very dismissive to someone worrying/anxious. I think there are far better children's books out there that deal with worrying and what you can do about it.

[Taylor Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wemberly Worried is one of my favorite children's book. It's about a little girl (mouse) that constantly worries. She worries about her parents, she worries about herself, she worries about the play place at the park. She worries in the morning, she worries at night, and all of the hours in between. I can empathize with Wemberly because I was the same kind of child and have grown up to be a worrier as an adult. I love that this story shows children it's normal to feel an array of feelings- worry being one. But this book teaches kids that worrying can cause a lot of stress and problems. It's important to find ways to deal with worry and not let it run your life. I think my daughter would really benefit from reading this book a few good times.

(Illustrator category)

[NS-Christine Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wemberly worries about everything! Her parents tell her not to worry. Her grandmother tells her not to worry, but Wemberly still worries. She worries about big things and small things and especially about her first day at school. What if the teacher is mean? What if she hates the snack? Read to find out how Wemberly's first day of school goes. Will Wemberly continue to worry?

This is an adorable book filled with colorful pictures of Wemberly the mouse. Children will be able to identify with some of Wemberly's worries and her anxiety about the first day of school. They will also enjoy hearing about her stuffed rabbit Petal. This is a book for everyone!

[Shamilah Gillani · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Wemberly Worried" is a great book about a little mouse who worries all the time. She worries about every possible thing there is to worry about, even when her parents tell her not to! So naturally, she is worried about her first day of school. Surprisingly, she finds friends who are worried as well! I like that the book gives the message that we may be different, but we are all also the same in one way or another. My students can learn that it's okay to be worried and scared, because chances are, others are too. All children worry, but when they are paired with someone who shares those qualms, their fears tend to disappear, as was the case with Wemberly.

[Tam Tam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Excellent book for helping kids TO worry. Here, let me give you a few ideas of things to worry about. But don't worry, the ending makes it turn out fine. But the 100 bad things don't make up for the 1 good thing.

So if you'd like to give your child a jumpstart in worrying, this is a key book.

Yep this one is going in the donation pile. Wait a minute...I don't know if I'd want others to read this one...so....cut off the words and make wrapping paper?

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love Kevin Henkes' young characters and their relatable vulnerabilities? In this tale, little Wemberly worries over just about everything--especially starting kindergarten. Yet, school turns out to be the place where her worries are shared, and also dismissed. A good story for young children with anxiety.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to add this book to my list. I read it today to my daughter who is a huge worrier and it was wonderful, she was able to see how silly it is too worry about silly things and she was able to laugh at herself. I love this book!

[Shaley Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Wemberly worries about everything. Now she has a bigger worry than ever, her first day of school. Her parents try to get her to not worry, but nothing helps. Great pictures and a lot of kids could relate to worrying about the first day of school.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

so cute, Wemberly worries about everything! Kind of reminds me of someone, oh right, ME!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

My hubby says I'm Wemberly so as you can imagine I totally relate to this sweet little mouse.

[Sharlet Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book of how children really look at going to school for the first time. Then they meet a good friend and have the best time.

[Kaethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Wemberly did not find much empathy at our house, where the kids are fearless and fond of watching explosions. I liked him though.

Library copy.

[Siomara · Rating 5 out of 5]

She worried so much, it worried me! I recommend this book it is great.

[Anna Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my new favorites for kids. I was definitely a worrier child, and this book helps my preschool students who are worriers feel better when they hear it.