Big Thoughts: Catch and Release Your Worries Hardcover by Laura Dockrill; Illustrated by Ashling Lindsay

Product Details

• Publisher: Candlewick (2026-08-18)
• Language: English
• Paperback: 32 pages
• ISBN-13: 9781536247787
• Item Weight: 430.92 grams
• Dimensions: 30.0 x 22.56 x 0.91 cm

Laura Dockrill’s witty, tender, deeply insightful narrative pairs with charming illustrations to show children they’re not alone in their worries—and to offer real ways to talk about, and deal with, their anxiety.

Everyone has worries: BIG THOUGHTS. They’re invisible but loud, and nobody but you can hear the racket they make inside your head. Big Thoughts can be about the future—things that haven’t happened and might not ever happen—or about the past. They can even be make-believe, which is one of the annoying things about Big Thoughts: They don’t always tell the truth. In her distinctively effervescent voice, Laura Dockrill connects with young readers and makes them feel seen and heard, while providing very real coping tips to calm their worried minds—strategies they can carry with them throughout their lives. Richly detailed and emotive illustrations by Ashling Lindsay help make this a vital read to reassure the anxious minds of children of all ages. A list of things that make the book’s creators happy can be found in the back matter.

About the Author

Laura Dockrill is a performance poet, an illustrator, and the author of Gray, illustrated by Lauren Child; Angry Cookie, illustrated by Maria Karipidou; the Darcy Burdock series; and other books for children and young adults. A graduate of the BRIT School for the Performing Arts and Technology, Laura Dockrill lives in England.

Ashling Lindsay is the illustrator of several books for children, including My Friend, Loonie by Nina LaCour; The Night Box by Louise Greig, which was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal; and The Tide by Clare Helen Welsh, a Crystal Kite Award winner. She is also the illustrator of an Alan Turing biography for the best-selling series Little People, Big Dreams. Ashling Lindsay lives in Belfast, Northern Ireland.