What happens when a pint-sized hedgehog with a wildly overactive imagination steps into the playground, the pool, or onto his first bicycle? In Hedgehog vs. Fear, every cheerful adventure becomes a battleground of outrageous “what ifs?” Luckily, Dad notices his son's worries and encourages him to consider whether fear should have the final say. With a little help, hedgehog Pup overcomes his fears, scaling a mountain peak and even forging a new friendship. Bursting with playful humor, vivid illustrations, and a gentle roadmap for tackling anxiety, Hedgehog vs. Fear offers families a guide to finding bravery one small step at a time.
What happens when a pint-sized hedgehog with a wildly overactive imagination steps into the playground, the pool, or onto his first bicycle? In Hedgehog vs. Fear, every cheerful adventure becomes a battleground of outrageous “what ifs?” Luckily, Dad notices his son's worries and encourages him to consider whether fear should have the final say. With a little help, hedgehog Pup overcomes his fears, scaling a mountain peak and even forging a new friendship. Bursting with playful humor, vivid illustrations, and a gentle roadmap for tackling anxiety, Hedgehog vs. Fear offers families a guide to finding bravery one small step at a time.
Anxiety and fear plague many people, even our little ones, and can cause sleepless nights, keep us from trying new things, and cause us to miss out on events and activities, and so much more. In Hedgehog Vs. Fear, Fear lurks close to the small animal, whispering what-ifs and replacing excitement with negative emotions. In the story, Fear appears as a dark blue object (in various sizes) with one large eye. Though the story's image might not reflect what your child sees, including this visual helps kids relate more to the Pup's (the hedgehog's) plight and (hopefully) prompts our little ones to share what Fear looks like to them. Readers might also notice that when Fear is on the attack, Pup's color changes from brown to pink: a wonderful, therapeutic feature to alert kids that Fear is nearby.
Pup faces Fear in familiar locations: the playground, swimming pool, on a bike, climbing a mountain, and his bedroom. All the what-ifs Fear stirred up clouded Pup's mind, leaving the animal absolutely terrified. Many children, and even the adults reading the story, can relate to the high anxiety levels clearly etched on the animal's face. When Pup's dad entered the picture, the story momentarily took a religious turn before helping Pup see there is nothing to fear. Thanks to the comforting words and support of Pup's parent, the hedgehog found the courage to push Fear away! The collage of adorable illustrations was a lovely end to the children's book!
Hedgehog Vs. Fear is perfect for homes, schools, libraries, and therapeutic offices. I recommend sharing the story with kids 3-8 years old, especially those exhibiting physical or emotional signs that Fear is plaguing their life. Help our little one find their voice, share their fears, and find the courage and confidence to squash Fear. Let's support their mental health!
(Reviewer note: Fear is capitalized when discussing the character.)