The Bravest Worrier

A couple of weeks ago I found myself arriving way too early for an eye doctor appointment. To waste the minutes away, I walked over to the Barnes and Nobel and wandered aimlessly through the store. My mind spun round in a frantic state of worries- work, home, family. anything, and everything. A lot is going on right now- personally, professionally, and in the world- and my mind is moving at 100 miles an hour like a bullet train. Enter wonderfully Barnes and Nobel employee! She stops me and asks if I am alright. I nod and start to walk away. She looks at me with a "I am not buying it look"- the kind that only mothers can truly perfect and asks me to check out this book. My first thought is to quickly say no thanks and walk away. I have enough on my plate- I don't need someone selling me a book. But, something in my heart told me to stay and listen. This employee introduced me to a book by a local author about worrying. Meet author and illustrator of The Bravest Worrier- Angelique Monet.

 

ANGELIQUE MONET BIOGRAPHY

Angelique Monet was born in upstate New York. She grew up with two older sisters and one older brother.  She has fond memories of jumping in huge piles of leaves left by her favorite season autumn. She loves the smell of autumn, the crisp cool air, and the beautiful colors of the changing foliage.  Autumn will always remind Angelique of the fresh beginnings of new school days.

At a very early age Angelique felt inspired to write poetry.  Unable to keep a journal, Angelique would write her most inner feelings down through poem after poem.  As she grew older, her friends would often confide in her with their personal stories and want Angelique to turn it into poetry.  Angelique found great enjoyment in helping them express what they could not. 

Angelique left the cold winters behind and moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she met her husband. Together they have built a family and a wonderful life that combines their passion for art, creative inventions, and the need to make a positive impact.  They designed and created successful iPhone games.  It wasn’t until her daughters began school that she felt inspired to write about those complex feelings of growing up again. 

Angelique spends her days writing and painting.  After writing several children’s books Angelique knew ‘The Bravest Worrier’ had to be illustrated first.  The Bravest Worrier was written in only forty-five minutes but was illustrated over the course of two years.  Angelique has always known she was a writer but only recently discovered that she was an artist as well. As a self-taught artist she has a love for 18^th- century art.  Angelique thoughtfully planned out each page and would often get lost in the details, the lighting, and emotional aspect of her art.  She wants her reader to feel the story not just from the words but the art as well. 

Angelique could never imagine that her love for writing would lead to writing children’s books. 

She hopes to inspire and positively impact her readers’ for years to come.  

 

And now meet her beautiful and so needed book: The Bravest Worrier.

My Review

There are no shortage of things to worry about today- flooding, war, healthcare, yellow jacket stings, and if your friends are talking about you. These are all topics my daughter has brought up to me as things that keep her up at night. My oldest can worry so much sometimes that she becomes paralyzed by her fears. While we work together all the time to put the worries and fears in perspective, no matter what I say or do, there seems to always be new worries brewing. 

The Bravest Worrier tackles the myriad of worries that cross a child's mind head on in a gorgeously illustrated picture book that saturates your mind with imagery and pushes out all the worries.  Each page is full of little witty statements that exemplify what voices can be heard in a worriers mind. I find myself discovering new parts of the book with every new read.

The book also comes with a small poster titled, "The Bravest Worrier Worry's Secrets Revealed." This poster is chock full of useful life skills that help a worrier kick the worrying habit. I love this book so much, I am not going to keep it, but instead I plan on sending it in to my daughter's elementary school to give to her guidance counselor. This book should be in every school.

 

Check out the author's website: www.thebravestworrier.com to purchase your own copy of this beautiful book. Or- if you live in Cobb County Georgia- head on over to the Barnes and Noble at the Avenues of West Cobb on Dallas Highway where I was able to purchase a signed copy.