I will not mince words: this book is silly. It follows a very simple formula of describing the symptoms of anxiety, general worry, and stress alongside photographs of birds. The funny expressions candidly captured on the bird’s faces somehow seem to always illustrate the specific situations and emotions being described in the text more perfectly than I even could as a professional illustrator. It’s really good fun and would be an especially great resource for a parent/carer/teacher to read along with an anxious child – jumping off and discussing how they relate to what the birds look like they’re feeling as they go.

Anthony Lloyd Jones https://shepherd.com/book/all-birds-have-anxiety 

“Whilst anxiety is a normal and universally experienced emotion, problems with anxiety are becoming increasingly common in children. Anxiety affects many aspects of children’s functioning. Children who experience excessive anxiety find it more difficult to learn, and they feel uncomfortable socially. Anxiety can take the fun out of childhood. In the book, All Birds Have Anxiety, Kathy Hoopmann creatively communicates in a developmentally appropriate way information about anxiety, how it affects people and most importantly what can be done to manage it. Using beautiful pictures and carefully crafted words, All Birds Have Anxiety is an excellent book that will enable adults to discuss anxiety with children and together develop better strategies to cope with this difficult emotion.”

Associate Professor James Scott, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research

” With their mix of words and pictures Kathy Hoopmann’s books have always put a smile on my face even as they’ve explained complex and sometimes scary issues in terms any child can understand. All Cat’s Have Asperger Syndrome made autism relatable to thousands of children. Her new book on anxiety promises to do the same for a much more common condition that all of us know, and many of us live with.”

John Elder Robison, NY Times Bestselling author, Look Me in the Eye and Switched On; Neurodiversity Scholar, The College of William & Mary

” Kathy’s wonderful book is a powerful educational resource for parents and teachers alike. This book normalises the experience of anxiety, it explains how worry happens and how it affects us, but it also gives hope on how to overcome worry, stress, and fear. It helps children and adults overcome self-doubt and life challenges. The beautiful images are carefully selected, displaying common emotions amongst all living beings. I strongly recommend this fun book to children of all ages, educators and parents.”

Dr Paula Barrett, International Author of the Friends Resilience Programs, www.friendsresilience.org

” Once again, I am in awe of Kathy’s ability to make the seemingly complicated, simple and accessible for all. Anxiety runs deep in our society – sometimes emerging as a pattern, and impacting on a negative way in our classrooms, home places and work places. All Birds Have Anxietyis a wonderfully engaging resource that reminds us how to recognise the symptoms of anxiety in ourselves and others. She provides practical advice on how to acknowledge and deal with this emotion effectively. Not only will this book benefit the children that access it, but so too will it remind the adults in their lives of effective strategies that we can employ for ourselves and model for the children in our care. I will be recommending this resource as part of an intervention strategy to be implemented by parents, teachers and therapists of children that are facing challenges in managing anxiety. So too will I recommend it for use as part of a pro-active approach to promoting and maintaining positive mental health in our schools.”

Gráinne Boyle, Educational Psychologist and Director of The Innovation Hub, Dubai