Wilma Jean the Worry Machine

My daughter (age 7) struggles with anxiety so I bought her this book to try and help her talk about the way she feels. She really identified with Wilma Jean and she requests this book almost every night at bed time. Cute story.

Adorable story, and really good solution suggested. Only frustration is all of these books have the school as the main setting. I realize most kids spend the majority of their day at school, but a large and growing portion are homeschooled, and they still spend much of their time either home or at activities not related to school. The story itself is great though.

My little worrier was very engaged with this book. So much of what was written in it are thoughts she has had or fears she can relate to. She is waiting impatiently for the activity book, which seems necessary to really address the worries after this wonderful book gets the child engaged.

My son has an anxiety disorder & this book helped him laugh about how anxiety can be perpetuated. He even drew a picture of Wilma with himself in the picture. I also thought the ways in which the mom solves problems in the book was helpful.

I use this book in counseling sessions with school age children. They've all really connected with it and many have said "Hey! This is just like me!" Helps to recognize others experience anxiety too and it's not a helpless cause. I've used the tool in the book with children too, using paper to make a board and post it notes to write worries and process through how to take control. They really connect with this!!

Terrible, I gave it to my daughter and she started crying and I had to rip up the book in front of her face to prove to her she would never have to see it again. Just terrible. It made all worse. DO NOT BUY. Graphics were creepy to her. Girl is not cute at all...

My 5 year old has horrible anxieties... about school, life, everything. As we approach 1st grade I am setting for a proactive mindset for her. With upcoming tests, more writing skills, difference in friendships and all else, I truly want to instill all the confidence and "water off a ducks back" approach I can in her.
Wilma Jean is FANTASTIC! It tells about Mom enlisting the teacher to ease Wilma Jean... A great read, a positive read and a read that WILL provoke questions about daily pressures that we all face. Obviously not a "cure all", but definately a placebo for little nerves, someone to relate too.

I do not like how this book suggests someone should deal with their worries at all. The book basically suggests you micro manage your entire life and everyone around you should accommodate your fears, worries, and insecurities so that you don't stress out. I think it would be better for the book to suggest why we have to let things go, and not stress, and its ok if things don't go the way we want or were expecting.

The preschool and early elementary years can be tough for some kids; there are lots of changes - pre-k, kindergarten, new siblings, parents returning to work - and higher expectations for behavior. A lot of children in the target age for this book (4-7) understand things intellectually that they don't yet understand emotionally, and that can lead to anxiety. At this age, kids will often respond to anxiety by trying to get attention. At an age where adults expect independence and compliance, some kids will escalate their behavior to the level necessary to get the attention they need. Anxiety can manifest as behavior challenges as kids create conflict so that an adult will step in and dominate the situation.

This book introduces Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) strategies for managing anxiety. It is a great resource for families who find themselves in situations full of conflict and challening behavior. It is written in a way that is accessible to young children and opens the door to conversations that might otherwise be hard to broach. A child's anxiety does not need to be pervasive for this book to be effective. Everyone experiences some anxiety some of the time. The CBT strategies are applicable to children who experience anxiety occasionally, for instance ahead of starting school, or daily. Learning how to manage anxiety is part of growing up, and this book introduces in a non-clinical manner an effective set of tools to do so.

Even thought Wilma Jean's specific worries were not relevant to our child, he could use empathy to understand how she felt and learned the coping strategies. It also introduced a language for us to reinforce the CBT strategies. He was older, so we also used What to do When you Worry Too Much, which introduces the same CBT strategies to older children. Between the two books he was given the tools he needed to externalize and manage his anxiety. Within 3 months he was trying things he would have passed on and being successful in school and summer camp situations that would have challenged him in the past.

Wilma Jean has some general anxieties. Through the story, she identifies specific anxieties, sorts them into those that can be controlled and those that cannot, discusses ways to control the ones that can be controlled, and defers worrying about the ones that cannot be controlled until later. The adults learn that you cannot dismiss children's worries even though they don't seem real. The book teaches families how to communicate better through what is a common situation - a child not fully understanding something, feeling apprehensive for reasons that they cannot communicate, and avioding the situation either through non-compliance or escalating negative behavior.

I have found a new favorite children’s author! Julia Cook has managed to combine entertainment, colorful, fun illustrations, and addressing the issue of children’s worries in this wonderful book. The story will definitely keep and child’s attention.
Wilma Jean is a “worry wart”. Her anxieties surround “what if’s” of many things in and out of her control. Sounds like a lot of adult worry doesn’t it?
I thought it was so insightful how Ms. Cook dealt with Wilma Jean’s fears through the eyes of a child! Children worry a lot nowadays but most of the time they don’t feel comfortable or know how to share those concerns with adults. They sometimes even think the grown-ups will see their apprehension as silly, and unfortunately there are times they are told just that
Children will be able to connect with Wilma Jean and realize they aren’t alone. Better yet the child will be guided in how to view and deal with their worries. It isn’t just an enjoyable story; there are solutions offered. I believe adults should read the books too as they may be guilty of brushing off their little one’s burdens and not taking them seriously. They are serious to the child! Another plus I see is that this will be a starting point at a young age for kids to learn how to deal with stress in their life. At the back of the book the author gives 16 ideas for adults, parents, and teachers to help an anxious child.
I know this book is for children ages 2 – 5 years but I would extend it to 10 years old. I am thinking about incorporating it into a Bible study for our ladies group on worry. I can’t wait to read more of Ms. Cook’s books! Go to http://www.juliacookonline.com to see more of them!

Author Julia Cook, has an incredible gift of writing books for children! Her books teach important life skills, and are written through the child's view of the world. As an Elementary School Counselor I have incorporated many of Julia's books into my curriculum and must say Wilma Jean has been a hit with all my students k-5, parents, and staff!!! It's a FUN interactive book that teaches and gives children tools to handle their worries!
Children will quickly learn through Wilma Jean that the only thing they can't control is weather, for all of their other worries there is usually a solution.
Wilma Jean the Worry Machine should certainly find it's way onto your bookshelf if you're a Parent, School Counselor, Teacher, Social Worker, Psychologist, and/or Pediatrician.