A Monster Named Zee
by By Jaime Simpson and Jacinta Read

Reviewer
Stephen Beaumont, ACA level 4

Naming and befriending anxiety is the focus of children’s book, ‘A Monster Named Zee’. Lucas, the book’s central hero, experiences all the common symptoms of anxiety and shows how crippling these feelings can be. From wanting to cry, to vomit, scream, having a pounding chest, experiencing intrusive and overwhelming thoughts, as well as strange bodily sensations – Lucas has experienced them all. The various sources of these feelings are all strikingly illustrated and would be recognised by young readers.

Fortunately, Mum steps in and provides Lucas with an anxiety toolkit. This encapsulates a range of ideas that Lucas can use when he feels nervous, worried, angry, embarrassed or sad. What follows is Lucas trying out each of these tools with a range of somatic symptoms, starting with a magnifying glass to look directly into the monster’s (anxiety) face.

As a counsellor, I was impressed by this book. It is beautifully illustrated, developmentally suitable and accurate in portraying diverse symptoms of anxiety. It is well suited to children in the early elementary stage but also could be useful for pre-schoolers. There is increasing evidence that anxiety in preschoolers and young children parallels those in older children. Fortunately, there are an increasing number of excellent books and resources for parents of anxious-prone children. A Monster Named Zee is up there with the best of them.

To give it one final test, I gave it to my nine-year-old granddaughter to read, which she did quickly. I then asked her if it made sense and what she liked most about the book. She loved the illustrations but wished it was about a girl! When pressed, she identified with some of Lucas’s anxious feelings – and I think the Kind Word’s Pinwheel touched a specific nerve. This reinforces how effective reading books are to ignite conversations and help anxious children process their feelings.

Passing the grandpa test, one conversation at a time.

Well done, Jaime Simpson and Jacinta Read.

A review from a Primary school teacher … #teacherstoolbox

“I love it. Beautifully written. I love how you describe the different ways anxiety presents itself and makes you feel and then provide the tools for each one in language the kids will understand. Using the monster just so clever. The illustrations are perfect too. I can’t wait to share it with my class before I pass it on at school. Thanks so much for writing this book.

Brilliant work”!

Thank you for sharing with us. We look forward to hearing what the kids in your class think too!

A review that made our hearts smile…

“My son just read your book and said it’s such a beautiful book, can you please tell them I can relate to heaps of it and it makes me feel like I’m not alone”

This is exactly why we wrote this book - so children know they are not alone. We normalise topics that are misunderstood though the art of story telling.