“A Wallop of Worries” by Alyssa Caparaso Hurley

• 11/15/2023
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A Wallop of Worries

Alyssa Caparaso Hurley
Cherish Editions (2023)
ISBN: 978-1915680068
Reviewed by Diana Coyle for Reader Views (10/2023)

In “A Wallop of Worries” by Alyssa Caparaso Hurley, the author has penned a wonderful picture book teaching children different ways in which they can do things to calm and center themselves when they feel stressed and the situation feels out of control for them. She teaches them different methods that are safe for the child and in the end, allows the child to actually calm down and feel in control again. She presents fun and safe ways that children can use to calm themselves when feeling stressed and out of control. She tells them to repeat different mantras such as, “All will be well, and I am okay.” It’s a simple, but to-the-point mantra the child can remember and repeat as needed. I think it’s wonderful to teach a child a simple action that could give back to them tenfold.

She also offers children a list of things they can do to help them feel better such as: singing a song, drinking hot cocoa, getting a hug, talking to a friend, doing some exercise, drawing a picture, and doing something nice for someone else. All of these are wonderfully positive things that can help not only the stressed child but teach them to do something nice for someone else as well.

Another unique and creative thing she teaches them is to use all five senses to find things around them that will help calm them down. From speaking out loud something you do best, to using your eyes to see things around you and list them. She also adds, find something near you that you can hear, use your fingers to find something you can touch, and lastly, imagine something that tastes really good. These are all easy things children can do, which helps them step away from the stress and into a safe zone of doing things to keep their minds occupied. I love her approach to calming children down by doing simple little actions to help them regain control.

Alyssa Caparaso Hurley provides children with empowering ways for them to conquer their fears and worries productively while allowing them to feel safe and in control of these stressful situations. She writes in a fun and creative rhyming verse to grab the child’s attention immediately. I feel she presents her ideas in an easy format that allows children to learn something fun and exciting without realizing it, while they are also decompressing and de-stressing in the learning process.

Vicky Kuhn is a UK illustrator who has masterfully created characters that children will enjoy looking at while they’re learning their new de-stressing techniques created by the author. She uses watercolors and colored pencils to create whimsical characters every child can relate to.

I liked that the author told the children that it’s okay to experience fears and worries, and by learning her wonderful techniques, the children can focus on other things while gaining a sense of empowerment over their difficult feelings and situations in which they find themselves. This will make them feel better and calmer after practicing just a handful of her creative de-stressing techniques. Honestly, even adults could use these techniques because they can be universally adapted to fit your age.

Overall, I found this to be a fantastic book to give to any child in your life to help them learn positive techniques to calm themselves down when they feel overwhelmed. I feel it would be a wonderful book to read to your child and use it as a way to talk to them and see what their thoughts are. I feel this book would be a great addition to the classroom syllabus allowing the teacher to teach the students these creative ways they can positively get rid of stress and diminish their worries. Early Readers and preschoolers will enjoy this book because of the rhyming sentences and simple pictures created to tell the story. I highly recommend “A Wallop of Worries” by Alyssa Caparaso Hurley!