Who's Afraid of the Monster? A Storybook and Guidebook for Managing Big Feelings and Hidden Fears

Whos Afraid of the Monster? is a set of resources for working with children aged 4-9 to manage hidden fears and anxieties. The storybook introduces a monster and a King who are scared of the unknown, and the companion guidebook offers activities and exercises to help children understand and manage their feelings. The resources are based on substantiated theory into children's emotional development and offer realistic solutions for parents, carers, teachers, and classroom assistants. The creative approach using universal characters makes it an ideal resource for educators, support staff, practitioners, and parents looking to help children understand and manage their fear of the unknown.

Format: Mixed media product
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 26 July 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Whos Afraid of the Monster? is a vital resource designed for working with children aged 4-9 to manage the big feelings they may have in relation to hidden fears and anxieties. The storybook, featuring a quirky and accessible narrative, introduces children to a monster who nobody has seen or heard and a King who pretends to be brave but is in fact very scared. Through this captivating tale, the story demonstrates how often the big feelings elicited by the unknown are scarier than the thing itself, and how to manage the feelings associated with these fears.

The companion guidebook for use by adults working with children is divided into three easy-to-follow parts. Part 1 presents the theory behind how and why big feelings in children arise and how creative art and drama can help. Part 2 contains activities and exercises with photocopiable instructions, as well as a list of resources for each activity and guidelines for safe working. Part 3 offers further activities and ways to exploit the story, such as discussion points, plays, and models.

Underpinned by substantiated theory into the stages of children's emotional development, the storybook and guidebook offer realistic solutions for parents, carers, teachers, and classroom assistants who simply do not have the time or resources to attend to their children's very real but hard-to-verbalize fears. Together, the storybook and guidebook offer the following:

A quirky and amusing tale for adults to read to children.
A relatable story about big feelings that makes the child stop and think.
Easy-to-follow and implement, photocopiable creative arts activities.
A way of addressing the anxiety and fear of the unknown within children's mental health following the pandemic and other relevant issues.
Hope and support for carers.

By utilizing the Whos Afraid of the Monster? resource, children can develop the skills necessary to cope with their fears and anxieties, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the emotional development process. The storybook and guidebook provide a fun and engaging way to address these important issues, offering hope and support to carers and educators alike.

Weight: 442g
Dimension: 211 x 299 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032334318