They are talking about you
They’re laughing at you
You’re not good enough
These are all things we’ve heard in our heads at some time, or maybe even from others. They just pop up in our heads, and we wonder where they come from.
This is the problem the young girl in this picture book from Mental health and Well being specialist Becky Overeem, is dealing with.
Many more negative thoughts are barging into her mind. She used to be able to brush them off with a Whatever, but it is becoming harder and harder and the thoughts are getting louder and louder.
Her mum notices changes in her first, and then her teacher. They try to help, but she isn’t telling them what is truly bothering her.
But this care coming from those around her finally sparks her into speaking to her mum.
I felt scared, I wasn’t sleeping, I always felt sick, and I didn’t want to do anything.
Mum talks to her daughter about her thoughts and whether she believes them, and then comes up with a possible solution.
It involves imagination, pencils, colour and crayons, and the girl can finally see that this just might work. The more she works on it, the more it seems possible.
For the first time in a long time, a had a really good sleep.
Are My Thoughts Worth Listening To? is such an important book for young listeners or readers who are dealing with negative feelings and thoughts.
This full colour picture book begins with a young girl who talks directly to the reader about the negative thoughts that are beginning to overwhelm her. She asks the reader if they feel like this too, connecting them to the girl’s plight. She explains how she used to solve the problem, but that it’s just not working anymore.
Images of the character in daily life solidify her even more – with her mum, at school, and at home with the family pet. Deciding to talk to her mum during meal preparation is another familiar connection between story and reader.
The solution is something any young listener or reader can try themselves to combat the negative thoughts following them around. It’s practical, easy and even a little fun.
Aged for 5 to 9 year olds to help manage negative self-talk, this is a companion to Is My Worry Worth Worrying About?
Author – Becky Overeem
Illustrator – Sarah Trolle
Picture Book
(2026, Little Love, Mary Egan Publishing, NZ Author, NZ Illustrator, Mental Health, Wellbeing, Negative thoughts, Negative Self Talk, Solutions, Worries, Thoughts, Perceptions)