I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed that there were fun facts and definitions included. I enjoy what I call little bonuses in books.

I honestly wish this book was around 35 years ago when tales of bloody Mary haunted me for most of 1st grade. My parents likely do too.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Facing Mighty Fears about Baddies is a book for children and parents and carers, too. The book uses the CBT method to help control and manage anxiety, and the aim of this book is to help children manage their fears, whether real or imaginative. This book uses graded exposure to help children face their fears in a managed way. The author uses the comparison of chewing gum as an example which made a lot of sense. When you first chew the gum you first get a whoosh of the flavour of it (which is the intrusive thought element) then as you chew it the flavour fades (which was the exposure). At the back of the book there is a section for parents and carers to read and further advice and information along with useful contacts too. The book helps children to understand their fears and deal with them in a more healthy way and is a great book to help an anxious child and even grown ups.

Update: I have read this twice with my kiddo now. I suggested it the first time and he listened very intently, and then the next night he asked to read it again. (He asked to read it again after that but I suggested taking a break to read something else.) Clearly he's getting something out of it.

He was uninterested in the gum facts, and after several pages asked me to just skip them. It was the instructions on how to 'chew out' the thoughts about baddies and villains that really seemed to interest him. It makes sense, as he has been scared of bad guys lately. I get the feeling we'll be reading this several more times in the coming weeks.
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This is shorter than I expected but does a great job explaining in detail the exposure technique the author talks about in her Outsmarting Worry book. I'm really glad I requested this one as kiddo and I weren't entirely sure how to implement the exposure technique from the other book. This one is a very clear, step-by-step guide to easing worries about 'baddies' that don't pose any actual danger in particular. My kiddo does not have outward signs of this to the extent of the kid in the example, but he does definitely worry about certain 'baddies' and tends to get stuck worrying about them. We will try this method of un-sticking the worry for sure.

I wasn't sure about all the facts about gum - they seemed kind of random. But after reading the author's note at the end it made sense. The author is drawing an analogy between chewing gum (familiar to most people) and 'chewing out' the scariness of the 'baddies.' Pausing to read facts about gum also breaks up the heaviness of the subject and gives an opportunity for mental breathers.

I found this to be very readable and easily understandable, and don't forsee my kiddo (8) having any trouble understanding it. After reading it I feel very motivated and look forward to reading it with him so we can talk about his own fears of 'baddies' and how I can support him in overcoming them.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for providing an early copy for review.

I thought this book provided a fantastic approach about how to tackle children’s anxiety over scary figures. The analogy of chewing gum where first the flavour (ie intrusive thought) is intense but then can be reduced by chewing (exposure) is really clever. There are also step by step instructions on what this could look like in very manageable stages, which are also presented in accessible language. The facts about chewing gum will definitely appeal to some older children and allows for mood lightening. The advice for adults is both succinct and cleverly written. This is a very well thought out book!

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Facing Mighty Fears About Baddies and Villains is a powerful resource for children and families to assist with helping children manage their fears - both real and imagined. The book is based in the science of cognitive behavioral therapy and uses the technique of exposure to help children identify and learn to tolerate the distress of fearful thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

There is a 7 part video series available to caregivers that provides a handful of techniques to help facilitate conversations about childhood fears in an age appropriate manner. I also really appreciated that a portion of the book is dedicated to normalizing and humanizing the truth that many children are living in homes and communities that are unsafe and where their fears are very real. Huebner writes about how this impacts one's ability to cope as well.

Huebner writes: "After all, being afraid is not the same as being in danger." She encourages us as parents and caregivers to help children understand the difference while also using our influence as comforters in their lives to help them manage these fears that can often feel very real.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital advanced copy. This is the first book I have read by Dawn Huebner, and it is a great book for kids and families. This book discusses children's fears and anxieties over villains or bad guys, but the term "baddy" is used most frequently. The book goes through exposure to thoughts about baddies and taking steps to be comfortable going in a room alone or doing other scary things. The book also provides a parental guide at the end which includes further resources. This is a great book for parents to go through with their kids if they are facing fears about villains. The illustrations were wonderful, and I thought the gum fun facts and the way it was tied into exposure was very well done.