by Anne, Savannah Children’s Museum educator
July 31, 2025 – In the beloved back-to-school book “Wemberly Worried” by Kevin Henkes, Wemberly worries about all things.
Big things. Small things. All things.
When Wemberly starts the school year, Wemberly is even more worried. But Wemberly gets to school and realizes that school is too much fun to waste time worrying.
Below are other back-to-school books to help children deal with separation anxiety as they leave the comfort of home to start or return to school.
Another suggested book, “Belly Breathe” by Leslie Kimmelman and Lindsay Dale-Scott, introduces belly breathing as a calming technique for children dealing with anxiety.
Children’s anxiety experts say incorporating belly breathing exercises can be a helpful tool to manage anxiety before and during school.
How to Use Belly Breathing to Ease Anxiety
- Teach the technique: Explain that belly breathing involves breathing deeply into the belly, making it rise and fall like a balloon.
- Practice together: Have the child place one hand one their chest and the other on their belly, focusing on the movement of their belly as they breathe in and out. Play a calming song.
- Incorporate into routines: Practice belly breathing before school or during moments of anxiety to help your child calm down and regulate their emotions.
Learn to belly breathe with Sesame Street’s Rosita here.
Ten Children’s Books to Help Ease Back-to-School Anxiety
- “Ruby Finds A Worry” by Tom Percival “A Bad Case of Stripes” by David Shannon
- “Llama Llama Misses Mama” by Anna Dewdney
- “The Name Jar” by Yangsook Choi
- “Invisible String” by Patrice Karst
- “The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn
- “The I Am Not Scared Book” by Todd Parr
- “Sometimes I Kaploom” by Rachel Vail
- “The Way I Feel” by Janan Cain
- “Oh My Baby, Little One” by Kathi Appelt
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