Once I Was Very Very Scared

Support your child in talking about their fears

Squirrel bravely announces that he was once very, very scared. To his surprise, he finds that he's not alone. The other animals have also experienced frightening situations, each responding in their own unique way. With the help of a caring porcupine as well as other adults in their lives, they learn to cope with their emotions and find safety and comfort. Through supportive guidance, they discover that their reactions are understandable and learn ways to work through their fear.

This story was designed to help readers understand common PTSD symptoms in a child friendly way. As you read the story, you may notice that the animals show common reactions to stress including fight, flight, freeze, flop, and friend.

Here are some of the ways that the animals react when scared:

• Turtle hides and develops a tummy ache.
• Monkey clings tightly to others.
• Dog barks and growls.
• Elephant avoids talking about it.
• Rabbit can't concentrate and tries to run away.

Key Themes:

• Understanding and managing fear
• Common PTSD reactions
• Emotional resilience
• Importance of supportive relationships

Who Is This Book For?

• Parents: Use this book to help your child understand and express their fears.
• Teachers: A valuable tool for discussing emotions and stress in the classroom.
• Therapists: Perfect for helping young children and parents talk about and manage their feelings. Especially useful for those with difficult histories, including histories of trauma.
• Adults: Essential for anyone involved in the emotional development of children and helpful in supporting your own inner child.

Other Language Versions:
French: Une fois j'ai eu très très peur
German: Ich Hatte Einmal Sehr Sehr Grosse Angst
Norwegian: En Gang Ble Jeg Veldig Veldig Redd
Spanish: Una Vez Tuve Mucho Mucho Miedo
Swedish: En Gång Blev Jag Väldigt Väldigt Rädd

Our books are designed to help families begin conversations about difficult experiences. We hope that they speak both to children and to the child within all of us and that they promote greater understanding of how stress and trauma affect children and how grown-ups can partner to support them. Other books we have developed include:

• You Weren't With Me
• Holdin Pott
• Trinka and Sam story series: A free series to help families after disasters that we developed and freely distribute in collaboration with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

Our books are also available in Spanish:

• Cuando no Estabas Conmigo 
• Una Vez Tuve Mucho Mucho Miedo