What does anxiety feel like to a child? Beat, beat, thump. Beat, beat, thump. That’s the pulse of Alex’s heart as he navigates worries about school, friendship struggles, and trying new things. Sometimes the pounding of his heartbeat gets so loud that it’s all he can hear. In this encouraging and heartwarming tale, Alex listens to the beat, beat, thump of his heart while feeling both panic and peace. When his anxiety grows, Alex uses techniques he has learned, like stomping his feet and focusing on his heartbeat, to center himself and regain his calm. When at peace, Alex can feel the steady hum of his heartbeat as he thinks about the fun things he’ll do at school tomorrow, the people he loves, and how his strong heart has carried him through hard things.
