Nicole Drinkwater Brings Comfort and Understanding to Young Readers Through The What-If Kid Series

Exploring Childhood Anxiety Through Storytelling

Nicole Drinkwater discusses her award-winning The What-If Kid series, inspired by her son Kale’s anxiety. She shares insights on storytelling, collaboration, emotional well-being, and her upcoming book, Carnival Chaos.

Nicole Drinkwater is a literary force in the realm of children’s literature, bringing warmth, understanding, and emotional depth to young readers through her award-winning series, The What-If Kid. With a profound ability to transform real-life struggles into relatable and compassionate storytelling, Drinkwater has created a series that speaks directly to the hearts of children and parents alike.

Her books, inspired by her son Kale’s journey with anxiety, offer more than just engaging narratives—they serve as vital tools for fostering conversations about emotional well-being. From First Day of School, which has earned both an International Impact Book Award for Social and Emotional Learning and a Gold Literary Titan Award, to Bedtime Worries, another Gold Literary Titan Award winner, Drinkwater has demonstrated a remarkable talent for blending empathy, humour, and reassurance into every page.

In this interview, she takes us behind the scenes of her creative process, sharing insights into how her experiences in Greenwood, BC, have shaped her stories. She discusses the impact of her books on young readers, the joy of collaborating with illustrator Stefanie St. Denis, and her excitement for her upcoming release, Carnival Chaos.

For anyone who has ever faced the pangs of childhood anxiety—whether as a child, parent, or educator—Nicole Drinkwater’s work is an essential addition to the bookshelf. Through her writing, she reminds us that worries may come and go, but understanding, kindness, and a good story can help light the way forward.

Nicole Drinkwater’s compassionate storytelling transforms childhood anxiety into meaningful narratives, offering reassurance, understanding, and a voice for young readers.

What Inspired you to write ‘The What-If Kid’ series, and how do you hope it helps children cope with anxiety?

My inspiration was my own son Kale as based in this  series. His own worries and anxiety became very apparent early on as any new changes entered his life. He would think of absolutely anything and everything that could happen in that instant and then worry himself into a frenzy of ‘What-If’s’. I hope that children and families will read my stories and maybe realize that worries are normal, and they do come and go with every life change. I want children to know that it is okay to talk about how you’re feeling with a trusted adult and to try and understand your feelings. Someone will always be there to help you, whether it is a family member or a friend.

Could you share the creative process behind developing Kale’s character and his journey through the ‘What-If Kid ‘books?

Kale’s character is of course based on my son Kale, but I do also realize that his character really does resonate with a lot of children feeling the same motions of anxiety especially in today’s world of the unknown. I think we can all agree that its not only children that are feeling anxiety and worry as we all try to cope in our own daily lives. When I wrote my first book in this series, the words just flowed. I knew this book was extremely important and that Kales story needed to be told.

How did your personal experiences in Greenwood, BC influence the themes and settings in your stories?

I think that living in such a small rural city made watching my son develop in school and at play a little bit clearer. Small city makes for small schools and even smaller groups of peers. I could see his struggles with daily activities and was able to ask and talk freely to his teachers and to other parents, which made for a very close-knit community.

What challenges did you face while writing ‘Bedtime Worries’, and how did you overcome them?

There really weren’t any challenges, it was more pulling from our nighttime talks that built that book. Of course, some of the questions he asks in the story, were not exact to our conversations, but Kales worries were very real to him and as a parent all you can do is try and soothe their fears and be there to listen.

How do you collaborate with illustrators like Stefanie St. Denis to bring your stories to life visually?

As we go through the illustration process, we communicate back and forth as to what is wanted and how we can make it as real as possible. She takes in all my feedback and comes up with exactly what I was picturing as I wrote the story.

What feedback have you received from parents and educators regarding the impact of your books on children’s emotional well-being?

It felt amazing when a few teachers had come to me to say that they had used my books as teaching tools in their classroom and that the kids really got involved with asking questions and relating to the characters in my stories. Hearing that news was the entire reason behind writing these books in the first place and to get that type of feedback from educators was truly heartwarming. Parents also thanked me for bringing childhood anxiety back into the family conversations.

Can you discuss any upcoming projects or themes you’re excited to explore in your future writings?

I have written another ‘What-If Kid’ book to add to this series and it should be coming out in the next few weeks. This book is called ‘Carnival Chaos’. In this story Kale is exploring all the sights and sounds of a carnival and has many questions about all he is witness to, including scary rides, loud music and even funny clowns. Trying new things can be scary but it can also be a great accomplishment for our little ones.

“Trying new things can be scary, but it can also be a great accomplishment for our little ones.” – Nicole Drinkwater

What advice would you offer to aspiring authors aiming to write children’s books that address emotional health? It’s a subject too few write about. In this world we are living in today, the innocent and most vulnerable should be priority. Pull from your own life experiences and find out how the characters in your own life have dealt with their emotions and struggles as they move forward through these times of change. If you feel that your story needs to be told, then tell it. Never be afraid to share your story.