Mr. Worry: A Story about OCD by Holly L. Niner

Illustrated by Greg Swearingen. 32 p., Whitman, 2006.

When children worry repeatedly (for example, about germs, illness, doing or thinking bad things, or things not being "right"), and when they develop behaviors intended to manage those worries (for example, repeatedly counting things or checking things, repeatedly asking the same question, washing their hands very often, doing things in a certain order, or putting things in order, they may have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Kevin experiences both obsessions and compulsions in this story - he worries about whether he did his homework and put it in his backpack, he worries that he might have cancer, he worries that there's a light under his bed, and he worries that his mother might be an alien. He asks both his mother and his teacher the same questions over and over again, and checks under his bed repeatedly. He has to have his chair in a certain place before he goes to sleep. Having all these worries makes him worry that he's crazy. When he tells his mother about some of them, she assures him that his parents will help. They take him to see Dr. Fraser, who educates him about OCD, explaining that his obsessive thoughts are like wrong numbers on the phone and that she will teach him to hang up on those messages. He takes medicine and they pick one compulsive behavior a week to stop. Kevin's mother supports him by encouraging him to tell "Mr. Worry" that Kevin is in charge and won't listen to him. Although the worries sometimes come back when he's tired or overly busy, he makes progress. The frequency of his therapy visits is reduced. This story depicts cognitive behavior therapy, one of several approaches that can be used to help children with OCD. Children who are receiving this form of therapy for OCD will find this book empathic, affirming, and hopeful.

Ages 7-10
Main character's cultural background: European American
Cultural context: multicultural