What Max Means to Judah
This blog post was written by Judah Friedman, the 12 year old author of Max & The Purple Anxiety Monster.
Max, the Purple Anxiety Monster started off as just a class assignment for me, but it turned into something much bigger. I wrote about how moving to Chicago made me feel all kinds of anxious and shared it with my class. I felt very nervous, but everyone was really supportive, and my teachers and friends thought it was brave to share my story. That made me feel really good, and it made me think, what if I could help other kids like me?
A couple of years later, I had this lightbulb moment and asked my dad if we could turn my story into a real book for younger kids. I wanted them to know it's okay to feel anxious and that they're not alone. My dad was really into the idea, especially since he's always wanted to publish a children's book and is a big fan of Dr. Seuss. Plus, he's got these amazing skills in AI and design, which was perfect for bringing "Max" to life.
Together, we dreamed up Max and the Purple Monster who represents all those twisty, anxious feelings I had. It was like taking my real-life story and turning it into something fun and a bit magical for kids to read. My dad used his design magic to create amazing visuals that made Max and his world pop off the page. It was like watching my own feelings turn into art!
For me, this book is about sharing my journey with anxiety, hoping it'll make other kids feel less alone and giving them some tools to manage their own anxiety. But it's also about this awesome adventure I got to go on with my dad. We got to create something really special together, and seeing him turn my words into this beautiful, visual story was just the coolest thing ever.
So, as I'm turning 13 and "Max" is coming out on March 12, I'm feeling all sorts of excited. I hope this book helps other kids feel braver and understand their own feelings better. And for my dad and me, it's this amazing project we did together, showing that even something tough like anxiety can turn into something pretty awesome. Read the full press release here.
