Abby Cadabby has butterflies about the first day of school. Anna Anderhagen's Sesame Street picture book shows young children how to notice what their bodies do when feelings run high.
Readical Key Points
- For ages 4 to 7 (preschool to grade 2)
- Illustrated by Hisashi Maeda and featuring Abby Cadabby and other Sesame Street characters
- Calming ideas in the story include Butterfly Breathing, Hug It Out and Body Scans, according to the publisher
- Expert input from the book's medical expert, Emily McTate, PhD, a Mayo Clinic pediatric psychologist, according to the publisher
- Hardcover, 32 pages, Mayo Clinic Press Kids, 2026, in the Everyday Feelings with Sesame Street series
Abby is nervous about the first day of school, and the story follows her as she learns to notice what her body is signaling and tries a few calming techniques. It points young readers to physical signs of a feeling, such as a fluttery stomach or tight shoulders, and treats both nervousness and excitement as worth listening to.
Parents, preschool teachers and counselors can read it with a child before a first day, and the publisher also suggests it for classrooms and therapy settings. It offers strategies, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan; Readical also carries Get the Wiggles Out from the same series. The first-day butterflies are treated as a message to hear, not a problem to get rid of.
About the Author and Illustrator
Anna Anderhagen has worked as a teacher, performer and music educator for young children, using books, songs and puppets to explore wellness topics with kids, according to her publisher. Hisashi Maeda has worked in illustration and graphic design for more than twenty years and studied at Musashino Art University in Tokyo.
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