Ruby Finds a Worry – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Ruby Finds a Worry

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2018

94%

WISE Score

4.9

Amazon

A visual 'how-to' for shrinking those big, scary feelings by actually talking about them.

Ruby Finds a Worry

book

2018

94%

WISE Score

4.9

Amazon

A visual 'how-to' for shrinking those big, scary feelings by actually talking about them.

4.9

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Screenwise Verdict

Ruby Finds a Worry is essentially a therapy session in a 32-page picture book, but it doesn't feel like a lecture. It’s a modern essential for any parent trying to navigate the 'big feelings' stage.

Tom Percival captures the claustrophobia of anxiety in a way that’s visually stunning and emotionally resonant. It’s not just a book you read once; it’s a tool you keep in your back pocket for those days when your kid is acting out and you realize there’s probably a 'worry' hiding under the surface.

Highly recommended for any home library, especially if you’ve got a kid who tends to bottle things up.

Age Fit

Perfect for the 3-to-7 crowd. It’s simple enough for a preschooler to grasp the metaphor, but the message remains relevant for early elementary kids dealing with school-related stress.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It’s a masterclass in emotional intelligence. Ruby’s journey from being overwhelmed to finding a healthy way to cope models exactly the kind of resilience and openness we want to see in kids.

Imaginative

Visualizing a 'worry' as a yellow, scribbly blob that grows and follows you is a brilliant way to make an abstract, scary concept feel tangible and manageable for a four-year-old.

Safe

100

It’s a picture book about feelings. There is zero objectionable content here—just a very relatable, slightly persistent yellow blob.

Enriching

It provides a literal script for kids to handle anxiety. It moves beyond just 'being sad' and teaches the specific skill of verbalizing internal stress to make it smaller.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Gives kids a concrete vocabulary for anxiety without using clinical jargon.
The illustrations perfectly capture how a 'worry' can start small and eventually take up all the space in a room.
Normalizes the idea that everyone—even that kid who seems perfectly fine—is carrying something around.
Provides a very clear 'action item' for kids: talk about it.

⚠

What to Watch For

The Worry gets pretty big and takes over the page, which might feel a bit heavy for especially sensitive kids, but the payoff is worth it.
It’s a teaching tool first and a story second, so if your kid just wants a high-octane adventure, this isn't it.

Conversation Starters

"If your worry was a color, what color would it be today?"
"Ruby's worry grew because she kept it a secret. Why do you think secrets make worries bigger?"
"Who are the people you feel safest talking to when you have a 'yellow blob' following you around?"
"Did you notice the boy had a worry too? What do you think his worry was about?"

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