Jack's Worry

A touching and reassuring story about the jitters associated with first experiences — and the satisfaction that comes with conquering your fears.

Jack loves playing the trumpet, and for weeks he’s been looking forward to taking part in his first concert. But on the morning of the big day, Jack finds he has a Worry. And his Worry starts to grow. Even when Jack’s mother calls him for a special breakfast, even when he hides under the bed or runs around the yard, his Worry follows him. Suddenly, when it’s almost time to leave for the concert, Jack finds it’s all too much. For anyone who’s ever been afraid of failing at something new, this book offers just what’s needed to shrink a Worry down to size.

Sam Zuppardi is the author-illustrator of The Nowhere Box as well as the illustrator of the picture book Nobody’s Perfect by David Elliott and the middle-grade series the Misadventures of Edgar and Allan Poe by Gordon McAlpine. When not illustrating children’s books, Sam Zuppardi is training to be a child and adolescent psychotherapist. He lives in York, England.