DECEMBER 2 • 2021 | 25

E

ver since the pandemic began and 
lives have been uprooted in almost 
every area, many people’s anxiety 
has reached unprecedented levels, includ-
ing children. 
Children now have one more resource 
to help them combat anxiety, with Julie 
Binder Reynolds’ new picture book, The 
Warrior Backpack.
The book is about a boy named Alex 
who feels nervous about going to school. 
His mother helps identify his anxiety and 
pull outs four anxiety-busting strategies 
from an invisible backpack. The methods 
are all rooted in cognitive behavioral ther-
apy. 
“Reading books about characters that 
face the same challenges is especially help-
ful for children. It’s called bibliotherapy. It’s 
not as personal as when kids are talking 
about themselves,” Reynolds said. 
The book also contains a resource sec-
tion for parents and a workbook journal 
and daily check in for kids to keep track of 
their thoughts and feelings. 
As a child, Reynolds grew up in 

Birmingham, attended Groves High School 
and University of Michigan. Her family 
attended Temple Beth El and she spent 
summers at Camp Tanuga.
“I did the whole Detroit thing … My 
mom, Linda Deutsch, and siblings still live 
there, and I visit frequently,” Reynolds said. 
“I still consider it home.” 
After graduation, Reynolds relocated 
to Denver, Colorado, equipped with a 
bachelor’s degree in elementary educa-
tion, a master’s in school counseling and 
post-master’s degree in counseling. A 
certified licensed professional counselor, 
Reynolds worked in schools for 15 years 
before starting her own small private prac-
tice. 
“This provided me with a very deep 
understanding of the struggles kids face 
today,” said Reynolds. 
During the pandemic, Reynolds, who 
has a passion for helping kids live their 
best life and who missed working with stu-
dents in schools, took her knowledge and 
experience to online marketing and social 
media. She began making TikTok videos. 

“It sounds weird, but it’s true; TikTok 
made me do this book!” She’s only 
half-joking; it was through her TikTok vid-
eos that she saw what was most needed.
“I was doing a lot of TikTok videos and 
whenever I did one on anxiety tips and 
strategies, I got tremendous feedback. 
Everyone loved it,” Reynolds said. She 
decided to write her tips in an easy-to-read 
book kids could refer to whenever they 
needed it.
She didn’t know how to make a book, 
though. TikTok came to the rescue again! 
Reynolds watched a TikTok video on how 
easy it was to make a book on Amazon 
and decided to forge ahead. 
Her own education and real-life expe-
rience with the many students she had 
counseled over the years served as the 
writing backdrop. As for an illustrator, 
Reynolds turned to her daughter, Sophia, 
now 11, who was eager to be part of what 
was quickly becoming a family project. 
Sophia, then 10, used the Procreate App, 
an iPad app that allows even a young artist 
to sketch, paint and edit with professional 
results. 
Reynolds’ youngest daughter, Sloane, 
now 9, also wanted to contribute. She 
added a small hidden animal on each page 
for kids to find, adding a dimension and 
turning the book into a game. Reynolds’ 
husband, Steve, also offered advice and 
support. 
“The writing and art didn’t take long. 
The complicated part was figuring out the 
logistics of publishing, getting it format-
ted and all the behind-the-scenes issues,” 
Reynolds said. 
The book was published in August 2021 
and quickly received rave reviews. Within 
just one week, it earned “No. 1 new release 
best seller” in three different categories. 
Most heartwarming is the effusive 
praise the book has received from parents 
and school therapists alike. One woman’s 
review on Amazon said she bought the 
book for her daughter, but admitted she 
was planning to use the simple strategies 
herself, too. Parents have stopped Reynolds 
in the street to share how The Warrior 
Backpack helped reduce their children’s 
anxiety about attending school. 
Reynolds is thrilled to hear that her 
book is helping kids. “That’s exactly why I 
created it,” she said. 

New picture book helps kids battle anxiety.
‘The Warrior Backpack’

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF JULIE REYNOLDS

 Julie Reynolds 
and her daughters 
Sophie and Sloane

