Nietert, Michelle, LPC-S and Tama Fortner. God, I Feel Scared. Illustrated by Nomar Perez. Grand Rapids, MI: ZonderKidz, 2023.

Guide to categories: Kid Review – review of books for elementary-aged and younger children

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Summary

Kids have big feelings, but none of their feelings are too big for God. In this picture book from licensed counselor Michelle Nietert and Tama Fortner, young readers will explore what it means to feel scared and discover how to manage their emotions in a healthy way.

Scared is a feeling that can be hard to face, but if we listen to it, we can learn things about ourselves. In God, I Feel Scared, children will discover that it’s okay to be scared and that God is with us in all things, including fear. With simple, accessible text, scared becomes an emotion that kids don’t need to avoid and instead something they can use to better understand themselves and grow closer to God. The bright, emotive art by Nomar Perez will draw kids in, and a note in the back provides tips and techniques parents and caregivers can use to help young children process their feelings in a beneficial way.

God, I Feel Scared teaches kids ages 4 to 8 how to:

• Identify the feeling of fear and recognize things that can make them feel scared
• See signs of fear in others
• Develop techniques to manage fear
• Embrace fear and new experiences without letting it overwhelm them
• Talk to God about their feelings

God, I Feel Scared is perfect for:

• Helping young kids develop positive ways to manage and name their feelings
• Children dealing with changing emotions, new experiences, or anxiety
• Family read-aloud time
• Supporting good communication and mental health habits at an early age

Purchase God, I Feel Scared on Amazon – https://amzn.to/3HI1OZT

My Kid Review

Young children can have a difficult time understanding emotions. Michelle Nietert, with the help of Tama Fortner, has written a wonderful storybook to help children better understand why they feel the way they do and what they can do about it. God, I Feel Scared could be a great read aloud for the child who struggles with anxiety or worry. The story explains that our feelings come from God and can be a good thing. Nietert also gives specific examples of things a child can do to help overcome those feelings of being scared. 

Nomar Perez did an excellent job of expressing emotions in the illustrations. I think they will really help children better understand the text. 

The book closes with a short section for parents with tips for helping their child deal with feelings of being scared. 

God, I Feel Scared would be a great addition to a K-12 Christian school library. It would also be a helpful addition to a family’s library or for a counselor to have on hand. 

I received a complimentary copy of God, I Feel Scared. This is my honest review. 

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