The Drama Llama: A story about soothing anxiety

Like lots of children, Alex Allen sometimes gets worried about things – like falling out with sister or not knowing the answer to something in class. Unlike his classmates however, when he worries, a very mischievous real-life llama appears! Usually, his llama goes away within a few hours, but this time it doesn’t. In fact, the more he worries, the bigger the llama grows – and the more troublesome it becomes. Alex tries everything he can to get rid of it: tying it to an apple tree, locking it in the attic and even shipping it to Panama.

Alex’s worries continue to grow and he starts to think he’ll never get rid of his llama. But then, he eventually shares his worry with the school’s caring librarian Ms Myrtle and Alex’s llama begins to shrink. Now whenever his feelings leave him in a muddle and his drama llama appears, Alex knows just what to do to control it.

Written in clever rhyming verse, this thoughtful picture book uses humour to tackle big feelings of worry and anxiety. The backmatter offers practical advice for children about dealing with worry, including finding a trusted person to talk to, breathing techniques and calming activities.

Featuring a sparkly iridescent cover, the charming artwork is fun, full of expression and brilliantly captures the funny – and problematic – situations Alex and his llama end up in.