Two excellent titles to raise awareness of children's mental health issues in Mental Health Week 2019 (Usborne Books)

May 13th to 19th 2019 is Mental Health Awareness week in the UK, and these two brilliantly timely books are absolutely essential for kids who may be coping with mental health issues themselves.

In "The Unworry Book" by Alice James and Stephen Moncrieff, children's worries and anxieties are tackled head-on with a series of awesome stress-busting tips, mind-calming activities and discussion exercises to help youngsters put their feelings into words and pictures themselves.

This is an absolutely brilliant idea, and one I wish we'd had when C was younger - as we spent a lot of time working out different ways to tackle her own anxiety issues - everything from a 'worry box' to worry beads and dolls.

Having a journal-style approach works beautifully though, as each of the topics discussed helps children to describe and draw out how certain things feel at times of stress or when they're feeling particularly anxious.

With a brilliant kid-friendly design, and lots of space for their own doodles, writing and ideas amongst the exercises, this is a book designed to help the healing process, for children and their parents to both work their way through in their own time and at their own pace.

"The Unworry Book" by Alice James and Stephen Moncrieff is out now, published by Usborne Books. 

For older children there's also "Looking After your Mental Health" by Alice James, Louie Stowell, Nancy Leschnikoff and Freya Harrison.

Again, designed for older children but actually invaluable for a wide range of ages, this book helps children to discuss and describe their feelings using friendly and practical advice, and written in a style that doesn't talk down to kids - but understands and addresses their mental health issues and needs in language they'll understand and not feel intimidated or patronised by. 

Covering everything from friendships, social media and bullying to divorce, depression and eating disorders, this is an essential book for young people who, more than ever, have so much to cope with at home, in school and even at work. 

With an eye-catching design and plenty of interesting ways to engage the reader, it's a book that invites discussion and covers topics that kids can work through on their own, or better still work through with their friends, family and guardians. 

"Looking after your Mental Health" by Alice James, Louie Stowell, Nancy Leschnikoff and Freya Harrison is out now, published by Usborne Books. 

(Both books kindly supplied for review).