Nona’s Nerves

Nona’s Nerves by Modello Brown is a delightful children’s book that revolves around a young girl named Nona and her journey of coping with anxiety.

Nona Martinez is dressed for the annual talent show. She has been practising and is excited to show her special skills. But on the day of the event, right before her turn, she becomes anxious and is scared of performing in front of others. Her friends come to her rescue and share stories of when they were anxious. Seeking courage from her friends, Nona steps on the stage and gives it her best shot.

The fast-paced narration employs a blend of rhyming and non-rhyming verses.

Not just Nona, but all the children open up about things that make them anxious and how they deal with it.

There are a few lines before the actual story starts titled “parental digest,” that set the stage for the events unfolding. The book has a cartoony feel and there is a pleasant diversity in the narration.

Parents/ teachers can use this book as a resource to discuss the important topic of anxiety with children.

However, the sentence length and font size are not quite appropriate for early readers. Quite a lot of the sentences are hard to read for most 3–4-year-olds. The illustrations, though bright and appealing, do not convey the story on their own.

Sharing a line from the book that encapsulates the essence of this wonderful story –

We all worry from time to time

And worrying’s OK.

But sometimes we must take a leap

To make it go away.

“Nona’s Nerves” is an enjoyable and worthy picture book, offering children a meaningful way of overcoming anxiety.

Wordsopedia Rating 3.75/5

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