There's a T. rex in my tummy is a delightful story that helps children to navigate feelings of stress and anxiety. The T. rex in this story represents the feeling of worry that we all get in our tummies sometimes. That T. rex causes trouble from time to time, but it can be managed if we learn the right techniques. The story follows our bright and colourful T. rex as it navigates some of the challenges our children face which can leave them feeling worried or anxious. As we move through the story, we go from discussing some of the things that can cause anxious feelings for children, to sharing some of the strategies children can use to help them to cope with and manage those big feelings. I originally wrote this story for my own son who has struggled with feelings of anxiety for much of his life. I wanted him to know that those feelings were OK, can be managed, and that the people around him are here to support him when he's not feeling his best. He asked us if we could publish the story so he can share it with others, so here it is for you to enjoy. Here's what your children will learn from reading our book: an understanding of the worried or anxious feeling that people get in their tummy - that it is OK to have these feelings - that there are strategies they can use to cope with anxious feelings - what strategies they can try to help them when they feel worried I have also put together a set of free resources to help parents and teachers to use the book as a teaching resource. A free resource pack can be downloaded from www.trexinmytummy.com which includes: colouring pages - feelings worksheets - feelings word search - guided relaxation meditation script - a range of other classroom activity ideas linked to the story We've had some great feedback on our story from parents, teachers, and book reviewers. Here are a few of the reviews we've received so far: "Just to let you know. Books arrived this afternoon. Thank you! Very impressed with the book, you did an amazing job. It's so well written and easy for kids to understand" (Happy customer) "Yesterday at mat time each child told me a worry, we put a T-Rex on their tummy as they lay on their back and we did some deep belly breaths and we all watch to see if the T-Rex moved. Our children are LOVING your book" (Teacher) "My 5 year old son loved reading your book! He loved the rhyming and found the pictures very cool! I love how relevant the message of the book is, not only to kids but to adults as well. I hope he uses the tips you've suggested as he continues with his journey at school and in his life. Thank you for your beautiful book" ( Feedback from local library user) “As someone who often feels anxious and wonders how people feel after I leave a room, I found this story to be a wonderful representation of the sensations and thought processes behind those emotions. Paired with fun, hand-drawn-like illustrations, this story is a good way to approach the topic of anxiety and teach young children how to deal with those big feelings. There was just the right amount of words on each page and the rhyming didn’t feel forced or odd; I found myself really getting into the story while I was reading it. Having different and diverse main characters on every page was a great choice because almost any child can pick up this story and see themselves reflected back. I find that a lot of children’s books at the moment are very heavy-handed on the ‘message’ they are trying to get across but this one hits the mark—it falls into the category of obvious but not overwhelming—and I really enjoyed it.” - The Sapling (Book Review) "Yesterday at mat time each child told me a worry, we put a T-rex on their tummy as they lay on their back and we did some deep belly breaths and we all watch to see if the T-Rex moved. Our children are LOVING your book." (New Zealand Teacher) "Thank you for writing such a lovely book. It has useful, practical and very easy ideas for how kids (of all ages) can deal with anxiety and stress. Ka pai to mahi! It's in my Helpful Books playlist, too. xox" (Suzy Cato - Children's entertainer) As someone who often feels anxious and wonders how people feel after I leave a room, I found this story to be a wonderful representation of the sensations and thought processes behind those emotions. (Hope Lenzen, The Sapling) Kellie Dawson is a New Zealand based mother of two, whose worries over her own son's anxiety led her to create a resource specifically aimed at helping her son, Xavier, to understand that his feelings of anxiety were normal. The book was brought to life when young Xavier asked if his story could be turned into a real book that could be shared with others. Sarah Healey is an award-winning illustrator and graphic designer, and mother of two. She works on a variety of projects but has a soft spot for children's book illustration, particularly enjoying working with authors to help bring their stories to life.