There’s an Elephant on My Chest by Caris Snider and illustrated by Ana Sebastian. Published by End Game Press.
She’s not a debut author, BUT this is her debut picture book! Caris (pronounced like Paris, but with a “C”) Snider is a Christian Communicator through her website, podcast, speaking engagements, and through her books. Her main topic to speak and write upon is anxiety. That is exactly what her debut picture book is all about.
THERE’S AN ELEPHANT ON MY CHEST is about Allie. Poor Allie wakes up with an elephant on her chest!
“‘You, again!’ Why did you come back?!?”
I love the question/exclamation/question mark punctuation!
Allie and the elephant are long-time acquaintances, but this time the elephant is weightier and massive, and she feels it through the heaviness of her chest and the rapid beating of her heart. Allie knows she cannot keep this elephant-sized secret to herself any longer.
“‘HELPPPPPPPP!’ She screeched. ‘There’s an elephant on my chest!’”
Mom rushes upstairs to help!
Then her friends come by, Dr. Mike who happens to be walking his dog on their street, and Allie’s school counselor, Mrs. Miller. They all offer encouragement and helpful advice. This is the best part because it shows us that anxiety cannot be dealt with alone, that we need others, and we’re also not alone in our experiences. Allie’s friends tell her they feel that way sometimes too!
Through Ana Sebastian’s illustrations, we see Allie’s elephant getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller, until…
“‘I’m free!’”
As Allie’s unexpected visitors come by they offer practical advice on how to walk through anxiety so that it doesn’t leave you immobile. We also get to see how a child might experience anxiety since the main character is a child. Snider doesn’t get caught up in the outward behavior of a child who knows anxiety. She writes how they feel and the possible physical symptoms: heaviness, rapid heartbeat, red cheeks, and watery eyes.
There is a great “Author’s Note”, a list of anxiety symptoms, and an action list for when you have your burdensome elephant stuck on your chest. Snider’s list is practical and easy to remember for yourself and your child.
THERE’S AN ELEPHANT ON MY CHEST is available for pre-order right now. Click on the book cover above and it’ll take you straight to Caris Snider’s webpage with buying links. The book debuts on July 18th. In the meantime, there are a few ways to support Caris Snider as a brand-new picture book writer:
Pre-order
Post on GoodReads “Want to Read”
Request the book at your local library.
If you happen to receive an advanced copy leave a review on your social media, Amazon, GoodReads, or pretty much anywhere that’ll take a review.
Anxiety has become a prevalent problem among our children. This book offers practical coping skills that they can do with you and even alone when necessary. Even if anxiety is not part of your or your child’s day-to-day life this is still a great book to read for “just in case” or so your child knows what to do when a friend is experiencing an elephant of their own.