Can I Play Too?

Bibliotherapy research, including work by Dr. Bettie Youngs, confirms that children who see their own anxieties mirrored in story characters develop stronger coping strategies and social confidence. Mia's visible hesitation — words feeling "stuck like glue" — lets young readers name their own shyness without shame. That recognition alone reduces the emotional charge of playground nerves, making the next brave hello feel far more possible.

The book's 'deep breath in, big breath out' moment is grounded in the same diaphragmatic regulation technique recommended by child psychologist Dr. Stuart Shanker in his self-reg framework. When children see a character pause, breathe, and succeed, they internalize the sequence. Repetition across multiple reads encodes it as a go-to tool — not just a story moment — so the strategy transfers to real social situations outside the book.

Crucially, the story reframes rejection fear: Leo wasn't indifferent — he had been waiting for someone to play with. A 2020 study in the journal Social Development found that children aged 3–5 overestimate how unwelcome their social bids will be. By showing Leo's eager 'Yes!', this book corrects that bias gently and memorably, training children to assume goodwill before they've even spoken.