107. Hattie Harmony

Hattie Harmony: Worry-Detective. Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett. Illustrated by Marissa Valdez. 2022. 40 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The first day of school had finally arrived! Some kids were excited and a little worried. Luckily, Wildwood Elementary had Hattie Harmony, Worry Detective. Hattie had many tools up her sleeve, and she was ready to get to WORK! 

Premise/plot: Hattie Harmony is a cat who LOVES to help. It is the first day of school, and Hattie finds plenty of classmates who want/need her help with their worries. Hattie's got a solution for every worry. And she'll always willing to share her techniques. 

My thoughts: I liked this one. I was a bit skeptical. It is a celebrity author. It can tend to be didactic. But. I went into it with an open mind (aka low expectations). I liked Hattie. I did. She's a CAT which definitely helps me trust her. She's caring and compassionate. (Also helps me like her as a character). The worries seemed legitimate and age-appropriate. VERY age-appropriate actually. The advice you could take as either a) completely didactic or b) actually instructive. Your pick. Advice, like always, is not one size fits all. Far from it. These are general ways (from a humanistic perspective) to calm your body when you are stressed or anxious. (Think taking deep breaths. Or giving yourself a pep talk.) It does not tackle worry or stress from a spiritual perspective. (Just so you don't expect that.)

© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers