Licensed psychologist Dr. Michal Regev gives readers a warm, playful story about handling disappointment and discovering that a surprise day can still bring joy
NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, September 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Dr. Michal Regev, a licensed psychologist with decades of professional experience, introduces young readers to the emotional challenge of plans gone wrong in Anjulie’s Worst Day Ever, a children’s story illustrated by her husband, Shimon Vexler, that combines humor, imagination, and an accessible lesson about managing disappointment. Centered on a child eagerly anticipating a family picnic, the story captures a feeling familiar to children and parents alike: the frustration that arrives when something exciting suddenly becomes impossible. Through Anjulie’s experience, Regev explores how an upsetting change can become an opportunity for empathy, creativity, and a different kind of happiness.
In Anjulie’s Worst Day Ever, Anjulie can hardly wait to spend a day by the lake with her cousins, surrounded by flowers, games, and family fun. Instead, she awakens to a thunderstorm that cancels the outing and leaves her convinced that nothing can rescue the day. Even reassurance from her parents fails to lift her spirits. Then, Anjulie notices three sheep outside in the rain. Concern for the animals shifts her attention beyond her own disappointment and inspires an unexpected idea that changes the direction of her day.
That transition from frustration to compassion gives Anjulie’s Worst Day Ever its emotional foundation. Rather than suggesting that children should simply ignore difficult feelings, the story acknowledges how significant disappointment can feel when plans matter deeply to them. Anjulie’s concern for the sheep provides a natural path toward seeing her circumstances differently. Her imagination and empathy create possibilities where she initially saw only a ruined day, offering families a gentle way to discuss emotional flexibility without losing the lighthearted appeal of an entertaining children’s story.
Regev’s professional background adds another layer of credibility to the book’s emotional themes. Drawing on decades of experience as a licensed psychologist, she brings an informed understanding of how strongly children can experience disappointment and how empathy, perspective, and emotional flexibility can help them move through it. Rather than presenting those ideas as a lesson or lecture, she translates them into a playful, accessible story that children can enjoy and adults can use to open meaningful conversations.
The book is especially suited to children learning how to navigate big emotions, unexpected changes, and moments when reality does not match their expectations. Parents and caregivers can also use Anjulie’s Worst Day Ever as a starting point for conversations about disappointment, kindness, perspective, and adaptability. Its combination of family life, an adventurous imagination, animals, and comedy makes those themes approachable, while its central message reminds young readers that they may not control what happens around them, but they can discover new possibilities in how they respond.
Early readers have praised the book for both its emotional message and its usefulness as a learning tool. In a five-star Amazon review titled “All around excellent choice for young readers,” former kindergarten teacher Michelle Gerard wrote:
“This book was outstanding in so many ways. It definitely met its intended purpose of helping children cope with disappointment. This is very important for social-emotional learning for young children.
As a former kindergarten teacher, I would have definitely used this book for this purpose. However, the book went beyond that. The beautiful illustrations were captivating and exciting to look at. They could easily be used for teaching sequence in a story and discussion points. Additionally, for more advanced students, many of the words involving adjectives and nouns were bolded.
This could easily lead to many lessons about grammar. This could also lead to a very interesting and fun discussion about imagination, and whether or not the sheep were real or imaginary. I will enjoy reading this to my grandchildren for sure!”
Another five-star reviewer, Mariana, described the book as an “Enjoyable Read,” writing:
“Anjulie’s Worst Day Ever is a sweet and engaging children’s story about handling disappointment when things don’t go as planned. After a canceled picnic leaves Anjulie feeling frustrated, an unexpected adventure helps her discover that a bad day can still turn into something special.
I liked how the story encourages empathy, creativity, and resilience in a way that’s easy for young readers to understand. The illustrations and lighthearted humor make it an enjoyable read, while the message provides a great opportunity for parents and children to talk about managing big emotions and finding the positive in unexpected situations.”
Dr. Regev presents Anjulie’s Worst Day Ever as both an engaging story and an invitation for children and adults to explore emotional resilience together. The illustrations are by her husband, Shimon Vexler, giving the book an especially personal creative partnership behind the scenes. Together, Regev’s psychologically informed storytelling and Vexler’s illustrations transform an ordinary childhood disappointment into a warm story about noticing others, adapting to change, and finding opportunity in an imperfect situation. Ultimately, Anjulie’s supposedly terrible day demonstrates a reassuring idea for young readers: sometimes happiness returns not because the original plan is restored, but because something completely unexpected takes its place.
The book is available at:
https://a.co/d/0ia2oB02
For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, please contact:
Dr. Michal Regev
BrightKey PR
dr.michal.regev@gmail.com
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