Two local authors have just released a new kid's book designed to help with anxiety.

Lucy Sloan and Joanne Lariviere worked together on Cindy and Cristabelle’s Big Scare. Sloan is the owner of Lil’ Steps Wellness Farm.

"The storybook is based on animals at the farm, Cindy and Cristabelle the fainting goats and Wilbert the pig. What is unique about it is we actually have an activity book that was co-written by the two of us and the activity book actually helps parents and caregivers be able to work through worry and fear and the areas of anxiety with their child."

Lariviere says the activity book also comes with a box that has a wide variety of items to help kids understand and visualize what they are going through.

"Oftentimes we find that caregivers or helper adults, we try to fix. So we see our children they might be feeling sad or they might be feeling a bit nervous and we go in and we try to fix. Part of our tool-kit here is we include some putty and you play with your child, you sit and you let them go and you let the emotions flow through their body while they are playing with the putty and sometimes that is just what we need to do."

Sloan says other activities include fun breathing exercises that help with anxiety, a Wilbert the Pig squishy, and what they call a worry box. She notes they held a book launch party at Lil’ Steps Wellness Farm this past weekend and they were very encouraged by all of the amazing community support they received. Cindy and Cristabelle’s Big Scare is available online from most large book-sellers.