About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is spiraling into anxiety about an upcoming family visit or playdate with a peer they find difficult. It addresses the very real dread children feel when forced into social situations with 'challenging' relatives, validating their apprehension through a lens of humor and hyperbole. Following a young boy as he imagines the absolute worst-case scenarios of his Cousin John's arrival, the story uses over-the-top imagination to deflate the power of fear. It is perfectly pitched for the 4 to 8 age range, offering a safe space to discuss social anxiety and the common reality that we do not always have to like everyone in our family tree to get through a weekend together.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
The book deals with social anxiety and family friction in a secular, realistic way. The resolution is realistic: it doesn't promise a new best friendship, but rather a manageable reality that isn't as bad as the nightmare in Ben's head.
