THE WHATIFS by @EmilySkeie, illustrated by @zoepersicoart is officially out in the world today!!!

This story is about a girl plagued with Whatif questions:

What if my dog runs away?
What if I forget my homework?
What if the sun stops shining?
What if my crayon breaks?

The Whatifs become these physical manifestations of her anxious thoughts—annoying, pesky creatures that follow her around and drag her down.

Emily queried me with THE WHATIFS at a time in my life when my anxiety was at an all-time high. I’ll spare you from the details, but I’ll just say this: it was not good. I couldn’t sleep one night from... you guessed it: anxiety-induced insomnia.

Since I couldn't sleep, I thought, well... I might as well read some queries. I opened her query and read it from the cool blue light of my phone while my husband slept beside me. I felt so seen by this story, so validated, and it filled me with hope.

Her query time traveled me back to childhood. I was a *very* anxious kid, and my mom would read me THE KISSING HAND on the night before a big day or event that she knew I was nervous about. She would draw a little heart on the palm of my hand to remind me of the book.

I remember having this overwhelming feeling that kids needed this book.

*I* needed this book.

Little did we know that this book would publish in the midst of a year brimming with anxiety and stress and fear and uncertainty.

I think a lot of kids are struggling with what if questions right now.

What if I get COVID?
What if I never meet my teacher in person?
What if I can’t make friends this year?
What if I fall behind in school?

My hope is that THE WHATIFS can be someone's THE KISSING HAND—a book that feels like a life raft to get them through the really tough days.

I initially saw this book as being specifically for kids with anxiety, but now I'm realizing that it's really for every kid.

I could go on and on, but I'll end my long, earnest thread here.

If you'd like to buy a copy, it's available everywhere, but I'll leave a link to @RedBalloonBooks here. This is a bookstore where Emily used to work! https://www.redballoonbookshop.com/book/9781499810295