CARE-LA
CHILD ANXIETY REDUCTION EXPERTS
ROSIE AND HER GARDEN OF PESTS
By Dr. Lauren Stutman (Author) | Format: Paperback | $19.95
About the Book
Rosie is plagued by PESTs — Pesky Empty Scary Thoughts — that plant seeds of fear and worry in her mind. When those thoughts grow into a dark forest, Rosie must learn, with the help of a glowing fairy, how to plant healthier thoughts and find her way back to herself. A heartfelt and imaginative story that helps children understand anxiety, emotional resilience, and the power of their inner voice.
About the Author
As a child psychologist and mother of two, Dr. Stutman recognizes the vital role of nurturing healthy thought patterns in early childhood. Drawing from her own childhood struggles with severe OCD and anxiety, she deeply understands how meaningful these lessons would have been in her young life.
As the founder of CARE-LA, a clinic dedicated to children’s well-being, she has personally guided countless children facing anxiety. Inspired by transformative experiences in her clinic, Dr. Stutman shares these lessons with a broader audience through “Rosie and her Garden of Pests,” likening it to a seed sown in the minds of the next generation.
What Readers Are Saying
A Beautiful Book For Big Emotions
Rosie and her garden of pests is a gentle and beautiful book that helps children face their scary feelings and emotions with courage and kindness. The author poured so much heart into this story, and it shows on every page. A wonderful read for any child learning to navigate the tricky parts of growing up!
Everybody Should Read This Book!
This is a wonderful book that helps kids understand their thoughts and build a healthy mindset in an age-appropriate way. The message is meaningful, the illustrations are beautiful, and it’s a great addition to any child’s bookshelf. Highly recommend!
Highly Recommend!!
Rosie and her Garden of Pests is a wonderfully thoughtful and imaginative book that perfectly brings its words and illustrations to life. It serves as an incredible, comforting resource for children navigating anxiety, and honestly, it is just as valuable for adults. I love reading this story to my own children, especially when they are going through a tough time and need extra support.
Improving children’s mental health is incredibly important, and this book acts as a powerful weapon against the "pests" (negative thoughts) in our minds. The storytelling is both engaging and impactful, making deep concepts highly accessible for young readers. I highly recommend this book to any parent, educator, or caregiver looking for a meaningful way to help children manage anxiety.
A Must Have For Therapists And Parents!
A powerful tool for empowering kids to understand intrusive thoughts. The garden metaphor is masterful, and the imagery is stunning. This book meets kids where they are and gives them language for something that's often hard to explain. I'd recommend it to any therapist or parent!
Great Book!
Both of my children are finding this book relatable! We just received it and read it a couple of times and it already seems to be helping them to identify anxious thoughts as separate from themselves. Darling illustrations and great idea!
A Beautiful Story Grounded In How The Brain Actually Works
Rosie and Her Garden of PESTs does something remarkably sophisticated beneath the surface of a charming children’s story. It gives children an intuitive way to understand an important principle from neuroscience: our thoughts are mental events generated by the brain, not necessarily accurate reflections of reality.
What I especially appreciate is that the book doesn’t tell children that scary thoughts must disappear before they can feel brave or move forward. Instead, it gives them a memorable framework for changing their relationship to those thoughts—an idea that aligns beautifully with what we know about learning, neuroplasticity, and evidence-based approaches to anxiety.
It’s rare to find a children’s book that translates complex ideas about the mind and brain into something a young child can immediately grasp. Rosie does exactly that.
Wonderful Book!
Wonderful addition to my bibliotherapy collection. My kiddos love the message and the illustrations. It provides a rich and interactive foundation for which to build on in sessions.
Just Beautiful!!
Such a beautiful book- both the illustrations and the words! It teaches an important lesson in a subtle way that’s fun for kids. Feels like an immediate classic!
3 people found this helpful
Every Child Should Own This Book!
A huge missing piece in kids' education is learning that the mind's pesty "what-if" thoughts and worries are not actually in charge, nor are they usually even accurate. This book does a great job of helping kids understand that while everyone has doubts and fears, we can learn to question what negative thoughts are reporting as facts and turn our attention instead on what's actually true: that our real power lies in what we choose to focus on. I love that there is a clear breakdown of the kinds of negative thoughts that entrap most kids - and that the book engages kids' critical thinking to help them apply the concepts in Rosie's story to their own life. The beautiful illustrations bring teachings to life in a way that's enriching and engaging. Every child should own this book!
What A Sweet And Empowering Book!
I purchased Rosie and Her Garden of Pests for my 4-year-old grandson, who tends to have his fair share of worries, and it quickly became one of our favorite books. It's a beautifully written story that gently helps young children understand anxious thoughts and develop a healthier, more confident mindset in a way that's engaging and easy for them to grasp.
What I especially love is that the message extends far beyond childhood. The lessons about recognizing unhelpful thoughts and nurturing positive ones are just as meaningful for adults who struggle with anxiety. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, the story is warm and memorable, and the message empowering. This is a book I highly recommend to parents, grandparents, teachers, and therapists alike.