Andi Green - Fun Books for Young Worriers

Andi Green is the visionary mind behind The WorryWoos, a captivating collection featuring books, cuddly plush characters, and comprehensive Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curricula. Her remarkable contributions have earned numerous accolades, with her books being celebrated by esteemed organizations like the Child Mind Institute, Creative Child Magazine, iParenting Media, and Moms Best Awards. Over the past decade, Andi Green has partnered with child psychologists, counselors, and educators to develop an evidence-based SEL curriculum, adopted not only across all fifty states but also internationally. With a profound commitment to nurturing emotional intelligence in young minds, Andi has taken her mission to schools, libraries, and community centers nationwide, championing the paramount importance of SEL. Andi Green's passion and expertise extend beyond the classroom, as she has made appearances at prominent events such as New York City Comic Con, where she discussed how illustrated books can positively impact mental health. Furthermore, Andi has facilitated enriching workshops tailored for both educators and parents, shedding light on the crucial practice of self-care. In collaboration with renowned Australian child psychologist Dr. John Irvine, Green has led insightful discussions on the necessity for adults to tend to their emotional well-being. These dialogues provide an invaluable perspective for busy and stressed caregivers, highlighting the often-overlooked importance of their own emotional needs.  As our Author of the Day, Andi tells us all about her book, Don't Feed The WorryBug.Don't Feed The WorryBug explores the concept of worry in a unique and creative way. What inspired you to create the character of Wince and his WorryBug?Don’t Feed The WorryBug was the fourth book in my series, The WorryWoos. This was a very important character for me because worry is so intertwined in all the other feelings. I wanted to create a story that talked about both the emotion of worry, the feeling itself as well as the worries – how they can grow and disrupt our lives. So I created Wince, The Monster of Worry and his nemesis the WorryBug.How did you decide on using a bug to symbolize worry? What was your process in creating such a visual and relatable metaphor?When I started writing the story for Wince, I kept coming back to his worries fluttering around him - they were at first small and annoying, like a bug. And that was my “ah-ha” moment. From that point I decided to write the story with two characters Wince and his WorryBug. The WorryBug became the perfect metaphor to show how we “feed” our worries and as they grow, they become a heavier weight to contend with. At one point in the story, you even see Wince weighing his WorryBug.What do you hope children and parents will take away from Wince’s story?I’ve done a lot of parent talks at schools and one thing I’ve learned over and over again was the struggle many parents have on how to start the conversation about a big feelings like worry. When I created Don’t Feed The WorryBug my goal was to offer ways to talk about worry in an approachable way. I wanted to create Wince as a “non-threating” character, one that kids could both relate to and enjoy discussing his journey. In addition, I created plush characters to go with the book so there are tangible items kids can see and use as tools to discuss their feelings. For parents, Don’t Feed The WorryBug is a great reminder we need to address our own worries and take care of ourselves.Wince’s WorryBug grows as his worries increase. Can you talk about the importance of addressing anxiety before it becomes overwhelming?The world is filled with worry and our kids are definitely feeling it.To quote Dr. John Irvine, author of the WorryWoo companion book Helping Young Worriers Beat The WorryBug “Anxiety is corrosive; it eats away at health and happiness big time. So, if we are going to help our kids through their little worries, we need to understand what worry is all about.”In the past we were told to “push” our emotions away. Repressing worry will only lead to the possibility of it growing and manifesting in other ways. By helping kids address, understand and embrace complicated feelings like worry before it gets too big, we are helping them become stronger and more resilient individuals. This will not only be better for the family but our communities as a whole.What role does humor play in Don't Feed The WorryBug? How do you balance the serious topic of anxiety with a light, approachable tone?Humor to me is such an important part of Don’t Feed The WorryBug. A little bit of laughter goes a long way. By showing a lighter side of worry/anxiety I wanted to open the door for kids to talk about their worries and use Wince as a means to help get that conversation started.The WorryWoos series touches on a variety of emotions. Why did you feel it was important to incorporate social and emotional learning into your stories?Social emotional learning is a relatively new term. When I began creating the WorryWoos, there were very few books in the market that discussed feelings head on. So much so, I was told “nobody wants to talk to their kids about worry, loneliness or frustration” and these books will only be in the “death section”. To me that was ridiculous and I instead of shifting gears I went full throttle with by books. As time went on children’s books about feelings became more common place and social emotional learning became more prevalent in schools. My books fit perfectly in this category and because of this many teachers and counselors starting using The WorryWoos in their classrooms. Because of this, I was able to create resources and curriculums with the teachers for social and emotional learning. Label it SEL or simply talking about your feelings, for kids talking about your feelings, the BIG ones, is so important for growth self-confidence and empathy.How do you believe Wince’s story can help start conversations about mental health in families and classrooms?By offering kids a tangible idea of worry, one that is approachable, we can help kids open up about their own feelings. Wince allows kids to recognize a feeling they may not necessarily want to talk about and relate his own experiences with theirs. I’ve also been told the Wince plushie is a great way to help kids “whisper their worries” into his ear which in turns helps them then talk about the feelings they just expressed.You've worked with psychologists and educators to develop an SEL curriculum around your books. How does Don't Feed The WorryBug fit into that framework, and how is it used in schools?Don’t Feed The WorryBug has been used both with our full curriculm as well as a stand alone story that can start conversations about the emotion worry. As The WorryWoos started to be used in more schools, I began working with additional teachers and counselors to create guidebooks on how the series can be used in different settings. It was at that point I teamed up with Australian child psychologist Dr. John Irvine, PhD to create The WorryWoo Developing Social & Emotional Intelligence curriculum. Together with the help of counselors and teachers we created a K-5 curriculum that is used in both the general classroom as well as the art, music and drama rooms. SEL isn’t a one size fits all concept, every child has a different way they express themselves, The goal of the program is to give kids an opportunity to talk about their feelings in every part of the day. Each week or month, depending on the time frame, there is a focus on a different feeling using literacy combined with an art, music and drama activity. These activities can be done in the main classroom or spread out throughout the different rooms.Anxiety in children is a growing concern for many parents and educators. What advice would you give to them on how to recognize and address early signs of anxiety in children?As a mom and working with so many mental health professionals, I have seen first-hand how anxiety can stop us in our tracks. More so than ever, kids are exposed to so much with the click of a button. When I do parent talks, I always want to make sure parents know they are not alone. That it is important to not only talk to their kids about their worries and anxieties but to also validate those feelings. If a child feels worried and they are told “there’s nothing to worry about” that can have a profound opposite effect on a child. Validating a child’s anxiety is the first step in shrinking the ever-growing worry. I would also say, if a child’s anxiety is so monumental, they are unable to go about their daily life, it is important to talk to a school counselor or mental health professional. There should be NO stigma on a child needing mental health help. We are overwhelmed with information and our children are feeling it. The more we can destigmatize mental health the stronger our kids will be.Your illustrations in Don't Feed The WorryBug are bright, whimsical, and expressive. How do your illustrations contribute to conveying complex emotions to children?I love that the depth of a color can shows so much feeling and tell a story all on its own. In every WorryWoo story I try to use colors to help show the emotions at hand. Some colors are well known for feelings.. red for anger, blue for sad… but what about purples and greens. Using a variety of colors with a light and airy feel I hope to show how a feeling is fleeting and not as heavy as we think. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.The WorryBug's transformation is visually striking. How did you use color and design to represent the progression of Wince’s worries?In Don’t Feed The WorryBug, The WorryBug, is depicted in colors of purples and blue. Throughout the story the color palette of The WorryBug stays the same yet the “weight” of the colors change. Ultimately, colors become a visual aid for Wince and his journey. The way we handle/see our feelings is not a “one-size” fits all situation. I try my best to be true to my feelings and hope that others will do the same when it’s time to express their own.Wince’s story is not just about acknowledging worries but also learning how to manage them. What tips or strategies does Don't Feed The WorryBug offer children for dealing with their worries?Although I wrote Don’t Feed The WorryBug as more of a story that opens the door to talking about worry, there are concepts in the book that kids can use to help diffuse their own worries. When Wince’s worries grow too big, he starts doing things to remedy the weight. He goes to the library; he calls his friends to help address the worries and ultimately ends up playing and having fun. The overall message is he starts doing things instead of allowing the worries to stop him. Much like the idea of mindfulness, he no longer is allowing his worries to stop him, instead he is moving through them and in turn moving on.You’ve created an entire world around the WorryWoos series. What has been the most rewarding part of seeing this world come to life and connect with readers?I created the WorryWoos based on concepts that helped me and to see them helping others is beyond rewarding. Sometimes I ask myself “what am I doing” and then I look at the incredible letters that have been sent to me over the years, explaining how a Woo has helped a child in such a profound way. It inspires me and reminds me why I do what I do.What is next for Wince and the WorryWoos? Are there any new emotions or themes you're excited to explore in upcoming stories?I have a few new books in the works that I hope to release next year. I’ve always wanted to expand the WorryWoo world with stories where they are all together and the new stories, I’ve written will do just that. My brain works faster than me so hopefully I can wrangle all these monsters in my head and get these books completed.