Jennie Allen is a bestselling author and speaker, known for equipping a new generation to live boldly in faith. Her latest project, the book “What to Do with Your Whirly, Swirly Thoughts,” brings biblical wisdom about taking every…
Popular author and speaker Jennie Allen says a new kind of pandemic is spreading — one marked by anxiety, not illness, and it’s hitting young people the hardest. The author of Get Out of Your Head and the visionary behind the Gather25 conference, Allen recently released her first children’s book — What to Do With Your Whirly, Swirly Thoughts — that addresses the subject of anxiety and mental health in easy-to-understand language for children. It’s designed for young readers and illustrated by Nadia Gunawan.
The pandemic of anxiety, Allen said, has “taken over the world.”
“I was seeing that in my own kids. I was seeing that in my friends’ kids and my nieces and nephews, and it broke my heart,” Allen told Crosswalk Headlines. “But I have walked through it myself, where I have struggled with these thoughts and these fears.”
Allen’s 2020 book Get Out of Your Head addressed the subject of anxiety for adults, explaining how to take every thought captive for Christ — a reference to the verse in 2 Corinthians 10:5. What to Do With Your Whirly, Swirly Thoughts is the children’s version of that popular book.
Photo Credit: ©Canva Pro/Jennie Allen
Originally published May 05, 2025.
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael’s Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Michael Foust
Read More