Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

What’s the Worst that Could Happen? is a work of children’s fiction in the form of a picture book, which was penned by author Yewande Daniel-Ayoade with illustrations by artist Renate Logina. Aimed at children aged four to eight, this delightful book can be read accompanied or alone, in the case of older children, and is focused on concepts such as anxiety and the fear of rejection. The setting features central character Kayla, whose grandma uses the title phrase ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ when Kayla is due to start at a new school. As Kayla’s imagination veers towards disaster, so begins a lesson in learning about the fears we create for ourselves.

Social anxiety is a growing issue in young people in our modern society, and so this delightful, amusing but also poignant work from author Yewande Daniel-Ayoade couldn’t come at a better time. The introduction of Kayla as a highly approachable and likable young person is very well balanced to show how overactive her imagination and fears are in comparison to reality. I actually found a lot of her worst-case scenarios really amusing to imagine, and the gorgeous illustrative work from artist Renate Logina really makes those moments pop as the storyline progresses. The organization works well and the story builds in an accessible way for all ages of reader within the range, culminating in a very important message about overcoming fear, which is very heartwarming to read. Overall, What’s the Worst that Could Happen? is a highly recommended story for any child who suffers from such fears and worries.