Millie and Her Tangled Thoughts
A Book to Help Catch, Check, and Change Distorted Thinking
“No one ever plays with me.” “I always mess things up.” Children say things like this constantly — and they usually believe them. Millie and Her Tangled Thoughts gives kids a simple, memorable way to untangle that kind of thinking before it settles into how they see themselves.
Written in rhyme by licensed marriage and family therapist Krystin Henley and illustrated by Melissa Mundall, the book walks young readers through ten common cognitive distortions using situations they already recognize — messing up in front of friends, being left out, and bracing for the worst.
Along the way, Millie learns a simple three-step habit she can continue using long after the story is over:
Catch
Notice the tangled thought when it shows up.
Check
Ask: Is this actually true? Is it helpful?
Change
Replace it with something more truthful and helpful.
It reads in one sitting, feels warm rather than clinical, and gives children language they can actually remember. The back of the book also includes a plain-English guide to cognitive behavioral therapy, helping the adult reading aloud learn the same tools.
PreK–3rd grade read-alouds, counseling offices, morning meetings, and family worship. Upper elementary students can engage with it well when it is introduced as a lesson about thought patterns rather than simply as a picture book.
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Written by Krystin Henley, LMFT · Illustrated by Melissa Mundall
ISBN 978-1-938028-11-3