Big Little Hearts #1: When Can I Go Back to School? by Anna Friend (author) and Jake Biggin (illustrator)

When Can I Go Back to School? is a reassuring journey through a child’s common worries and fears during the worldwide pandemic and beyond. With his school shut and no one able to tell him when it will re-open, Billy is worried about what will happen next… Will things ever return to the way they were before? Anna Friend wrote this book at the start of the pandemic to calm her son and later asked her friend Jake Biggin to illustrate the story. They self-published it on Amazon thinking it might help some other families. They couldn’t believe the response! Now, with the help of Scholastic, this wonderful book is set to help thousands more families struggling with anxious children.

• With mindfulness activities for families to do together to combat feelings of anxiety.
• Beautifully illustrated and simply written, it allows the reader to understand how a child might be feeling and gives a voice to those thoughts that are pinging around a child’s head making them feel wobbly and upset.
• Can be shared with younger children or read independently.
• This book series is honest and uses simple language designed to start conversations and provide comfort.

• January 2022: Who Will Love Me When You’re Gone? For families dealing with the loss of a parent.
• May 2022: Will Mummy Still Love Me Like Before? For families who have a new sibling on the way.