DESCRIPTION
A school day can be so overwhelming: so many people, so many noises, so many things to remember. Grown-ups say it’ll get easier with time, but even saying hello is incredibly hard. Thank goodness for comforts like math, for anything that can relax a restless mind. Maybe this time a few words will come out at last…
An empathetic look at anxiety and overstimulation, It’s So Difficult follows a child throughout the challenging routines of a single day. Even the smallest step forward can be an enormous triumph.
AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS
USBBY Outstanding International Books List (2023)
REVIEWS
Foreword Reviews
“Capturing anxiety via illustrative spreads that move from claustrophobic blurs to stark, dizzy sketches, this sympathetic picture book walks children through a typical day for a boy who’s afflicted by dread.”
The Horn Book Magazine
“Reminiscent of Yashima’s Crow Boy, the book, with its flat text and uncomfortable, jarring art, makes a powerful impact.”
School Library Journal
“Ideal for the SEL shelves, this book offers a thought-provoking story that gives a voice to children, on the spectrum or not, who experience social anxiety. It also encourages even the smallest victories.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Through-out, scratchy outlines and mixed-media art foregrounds evoke the figure’s encounters, as in the much-reproduced image of one open-mouthed, speaking face expressing a relentless barrage of sound, making for a perceptive portrait of one child’s experience.”