Hector's Favorite Place

Hector’s favourite place is the same as mine - home. Both of our homes have books in them so why would we want to leave?! Well, actually Hector is a worrier and that’s why he’s most comfortable at home. He likes to hear about his friends’ news and wants to do fun things with them but there’s always a ‘what if’ that stands in the way of him venturing into the great outdoors.

“Hector knew deep down that his worries were stopping him from going and enjoying himself. He realized he had to be brave.”

Hector learns that once he’s outside of his comfort zone most of the things he was worried about didn’t happen after all and those that did weren’t as bad as he thought they’d be. Hector becomes more confident, knowing he can have fun with his friends, and looks forward to spending more time with them.

The illustrations are cute and by using animals rather than people to tell the story I was more engaged. I love books that help kids gain confidence and hope this story helps some worriers to be brave like Hector.

At the end of the story there are ‘Notes to Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals’. This was a highlight for me as it includes practical tools for adults who are in a position to make a positive impact on anxious children. Information is provided under the following headings:
* Address the worry (if you can)
* Model and practice
* Try something new
* Resist reassurance seeking
* Praise effort and bravery, and
* Seek support.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Magination Press, an imprint of the American Psychological Association, for the opportunity to read this book.

I had a fun time reading Hectors Favorite Place. He is an animal who lets all kinds of worries and fears prevent him from leaving his comfy home. Yet one day he decides to take a chance, and he doesn’t regret it one bit. It changes him, and his outlook on life will never be the same.

This bright, engaging picture book is an excellent starting point for children to talk about worries and anxieties.
Hector is a hedgehog, and a worrier. He loves his safe, comfortable home and when invited to do exciting, winter activities by his friends (skating and making huge footprints in the snow) he loves the idea, but needs to finish everything at home.
Then he's invited to a party. He worries about everything that could happen there, and barely sleeps. Then he decides he needs to be brave and face his fears.

This is a brilliant story for talk to children about their worries and how they can face them if they're brave.

Many thanks to the publishers for the opportunity to read this book via NetGalley.

Hector is a worrier. He worries about being too cold, about falling down, and other things if he leaves his house. This causes him to not do things with his friends. Until he gets an invitation to a party and he decides to be brave and go. Author includes notes for parents, teachers, and caregivers about how to help children that struggle with leaving safe zones and how to address the worry, model and practice, try something new, resist reassurance seeking, praise effort and bravery, and seek support.

I am Hector. And I loved this book.
As someone who has always (through child and adulthood) been one that gravitates towards staying home, I connected deeply with this story and with Hector the hedgehog. Magination Press did an excellent job in publishing an informative picture book (another favourite of mine is "This Day in June") that keeps the story and fun at the center of the learning experience. The end pages provide helpful information for adults (parents, caregivers) on how to help youngsters who have a tendency to worry and not want to try new things. I won't hesitate to recommend this title in my library and am excited to purchase my own copy for home!

Hector's Favorite Place is a very sweet little book about a homebody hedgehog named Hector. Hector loves spending time at home doing his favorite things but his friends want him to come out and have some fun with them. Hector wants to have fun too but he worries about things. He worries about a lot of things. Can Hector overcome his worries and join his friends at a special party?
Cute illustrations and a great story make this a worthwhile read, especially for little worriers.

A cute story of a hedgehog who's fears keep him home. Hector soon learns to get over his fears, get out and have some fun with his friends. An educational read for anxious children.

Hector is a hedgehog that loves his home. He worries that if he goes outside he might get lost, or fall while skating, or think the music's too loud. Hector has to be brave, and leave his home to reconnect with his friends. The story is not bad, but it’s been done before. It gets a little wordy. To me the best part are the illustrations.

First of all let me say I love the little character Hector. He is just a darling little hedgehog. Hector prefers to stay in his comfy home doing all the things he loves: reading books quietly, playing his piano softly, painting lovely abstracts on canvas, and of course, eating the delicious meals that he himself prepares. Inside his home he feels safe and cozy and has no trouble whatsoever keeping himself busy.

When he gets offers to go out and join his friends for a walk in the forest on the first snowy day, or skate on the frozen pond, that's when worry starts nibbling at him. At first he's excited and wants to go but then he starts thinks about all the negative "what if"s" if he leaves his home, and then sadly his anxieties totally take over and Hector declines the invitations.

Then one day Hector has a Eureka moment. He acknowledges that his worries are holding him back from enjoying his life to the fullest and he's missing out on many adventures and opportunities for fun that are offered to him.

He bravely accepts an invitation to the Winter Forest Party and in so doing his life drastically changes for the better. The beautiful, vibrantly coloured illustrations are full of emotion and heart and perfectly tie in with the message of facing down fears and moving forward with your life in a positive manner. The book includes a portion for adults with tips to help children manage their worries and with support overcome them. I highly recommend this book.

This book is adorable! I think kids will really like the bright and fun illustrations and who wouldn't love Hector? This is an anxious, agoraphobic hedgehog after my own heart. I loved how Hector finally pushed himself out of his comfort zone by visualizing something good happening rather the something bad and found he enjoyed himself. The notes at the back for parents and caregivers is also helpful. I can see using this with students or recommending it to parents.

Hector's Favorite Place is a wonderfully written and illustrated children's story, primarily about a hedgehog who is more cautious and wary than most. He worries about "what if" and he realizes eventually it's a problem and he needs to try. He hides behind a tree at a party, but closes his eyes and soon gets lost in the music and begins to loosen up. He begins to try all the things he worried about and realizes that he's really alright. The theme of worry and children who are more cautious may help those children who are more reticent and unable to show risk in their behavior. This book may be a great way to open up the lines of conversation with the child and parent and discuss how some of their own child's behavior may be able to be changed slowly. This may reduce the fears of the child.
What I liked about the book was an afterward, where the author, who is a psychologist, discusses how this book might be used in families and even in counseling. Kudos with a "how-to" section for those parenting a kid that unlike most.


Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a pre-publication ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super adorable read that had my kids captured. The illustrations were also fantastic and went with the story really well.

Hector's Favorite Place is a cute little tale about Hector, a hedgehog who worries. The story shows us how Hector misses out on doing some things he loves because he's too worried about unlikely (or easily managed) problems that might happen. One day Hector decides to be brave and slowly eases into enjoying himself at a party. Jo Rooks has written a practical story with sweet little pictures that will be enjoyed by most little ones -- even those who don't worry too much.

To me, though, the resources for caregivers section at the back of the book was what really elevated this book into a must-have for any adult trying to help a worrier be less worried. There is some excellent advice offered in a very readable format.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this free electronic ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This children's picture book is published by Magination Press, through the American Psychological Association. In it we meet Hector the Hedgehog who loves his home. He is repeatedly faced with friends' invitations to engage in fun activities, and while he initially is drawn to them, he lets his fears and worries take over so that he decides it's better to remain home than face potential dangers ("What if he got cold and caught the flu?"). Hector does reach a point where he pushes himself to face his fears and he is pleasantly surprised when nothing bad happens.

The illustrations are engaging and will charm both children and adults.

This book would be a good addition to the home libraries of those children who wrestle with frequent fears and anxieties. It would model how someone is fearful finds the strength to be brave. For additional ways for parents or other adults to make further connections, at the close of the book there are recommendations about how best to address situations if children struggle with fears similar to what Hector faces. Parents, teachers, or caregivers who are lost for how to approach repeated fears will find concrete support in the closing notes.

A lovely little book with stunning illustrations. I loved the storyline and loved the fact that there was a little moral lesson to be learned

Oh, this was good! I've know a worry wort child or two over the years and this book would have been lovely to have had. Hector hedgehogs favorite place is his home. It's comfy and safe and it has everything he needs init. So why leave to go places? His friends invite him to go hiking in the snow, ice skating and to a party. Will Hector go??? He used to love doing those things! Now worries are getting in the way of enjoying a full life. Illustrations were lovely and I can't wait to see them in color in a book! Nice addition to any collection!

A shy and introverted hedgehog with great friends

Like many introverts, Hector the Hedgehog’s favorite place is home. In his cozy and safe house, Hector can read, snuggle in bed, play the piano, and paint. However, Hector also has a lot of kind and fun friends who want to play in the snow, ice skate, and attend winter bashes. Although all of these suggestions excite Hector, his mind starts buzzing with worries. What if the hot chocolate is too hot? What if he forgot how to skate and falls, and what if he catches the flu? OMG, WHAT IF?!

So much fun but so many imagined dangers

Hector’s troublesome dilemma worsens as he begins worrying about his worrying. Like most chronic anxiety sufferers, he cannot sleep at night. Admirably, instead of grabbing the medicine bottle or misusing NyQuil, Hector takes charge of his situation. In an act of sheer bravery, Hector decides he will attend a party because he doesn’t want to make his friends sad. He throws on his best bow tie, perks up, and shyly but courageously sneaks up to the dance floor. While the world is pretty intimidating, Hector imagines the life he wants. Suddenly, his foot is tapping to the music, and he is having a blast.

All worries aside, Hector decides that outside with his friends is just as nice as his home. Even when he falls on the ice, Hector realizes that he can get right back up. Being a rolly polly hedgehog helps. At the end of the night, Hector decides that he wants to have more moments like this party instead of being antisocial and scared.

Who will find solace and suggestions in Hector’s moral?

Illustrated with adorable watercolors and colored pencils, Hector and his wintery home depict an array of joyful colors and a world awaiting adventures. There is repetition in Hector’s responses to each friend’s invitation as well as his initial excitement followed by anxiety, which is perfect for pre-school to 2nd graders. Heck, as an adult, even I can appreciate the consistent message and lesson here.

As one of many great picture books about mental health, Hector’s Favorite Place will speak to families in need of support for anxious and scared children who just need a boost of confidence and bravery. Unique to this title, Magination Press is an imprint of the American Psychological Association. The ending is filled with adult resources for how to tackle an anxious and shy child. Truly one of my favorite mental health picture books this year, I highly recommend picking up a copy.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Magination Press for providing me with a free advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The full review will post by October 12 on theuncorkedlibrarian.com at https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com/picture-books-about-mental-health/

This is a great book and I feel fortunate to have received it. The pictures are very well illustrated and I love Hector the Hedgehog so much. What a great character for teaching kids (and some adults) to worry less and get out and try life. Hector places is safe a little too often. He worries a lot and doesn’t leave his house much. This opens a great discussion for parents, teachers, caregivers to talk to children about fears and worries. The section in the book from the American Psychological Association about how to talk to children is outstanding.

Many thanks to the publisher via NetGalley, and Jo Rooks for a digital copy to review. Highly recommended. I will get a copy for my classroom!

We could all learn a lesson from Hector. This book gives great insight to children but also to adults. Often times parents/caregivers may not want to let their children do certain activities because they are afraid of what bad things “might” happen.

This book brings us on Hector’s journey as he deals with his internal conflicting thoughts as to whether or not he should go out and enjoy certain activities.. He finds himself held back by his fears, meanwhile his friends are all having fun and enjoying life.

Eventually Hector pushes himself to go outside his comfort zone and he learns that being afraid of what may happen is stopping him from truly living his life.

I thought this book had a great story, was easy for a child to follow, and I loved the illustrations as well!

I loved the illustrations in this book about not letting anxiety keep you from enjoying life and having fun with friends. There is good information in the back of the book for parents and caregivers on helping children cope with worries.

Hector's favorite place is at home. He likes his books and his stuff. He knows he is safe there. Hector is a worrier. He likes to hear about his friends’ news and wants to do fun things with them but there’s always a "what if" that stands in the way of him joining in with their outside fun. The more Hector missed out, the more he realized that he had to be brave and try new things. Having a grandchild with anxiety issues, it is not that easy, but this is a great book to open a discussion about what Hector could do. Hector learns that once he’s outside of his comfort zone most of the things he was worried about didn’t happen. Hector becomes more confident, knowing he can have fun with his friends, and looks forward to spending more time with them.

The illustrations are cute and by using animals rather than people to tell the story my grandson was engaged and more verbal about what Hector needed to do. We talked about what would you do if you were Hector, and he was able to verbalize some solutions that would work in his own life, like having his parents go with him. At the end of the story there are ‘Notes to Parents, Caregivers, and Professionals’. This is a good addition to the book as it provides practical suggestions for adults who are in a position to make a positive impact on anxious children. Some of the topics are: Address the worry, Model & Practise, Praise effort ....

All children have a certain amount of worry and anxious feelings about new things, so this book could be read to a group of children or individuals before a new activity to head off tears or foot dragging. A great addition to family libraries where a child has anxiety issues. The publisher, Magination Press, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

Hector's Favorite Place by Jo Rooks sends such a positive and important message to young readers.

This is a story about hedgehog named Hector who has many friends who invite him to different outings. However Hector always comes up with an excuse not to go somewhere and not to do something because he worries that something bad might happen.

So crucial to teach children not to give up on things without even trying and how crippling insecurity and worry can be and how it can deprive us of fabulous things happening to us.

Beautiful illustrations just add to the charm and importance of this book. I especially liked the simple voice and manner it was written in yet managed to convey and immensely vital idea.

I cannot say how adorable this book is enough. I think that anyone who suffers from anxiety or fear will find this book a great comfort. I think most children can benefit from reading this book just to understand how hard it is to live with anxiety.

This precious hedgehog in “Hector’s Favorite Place” is a happy homebody, but too anxious to go out with friends. He wants to go, but worries about every little thing — will he get lost to a party, where the hot chocolate might be too hot, the music too loud, or he might forget how to dance? But he talks himself into going, despite his fears, and has a blast. “All of a sudden, Hector realized that his feet were tapping ... his prickles were swaying (😁) ... and before he knew it ... he was dancing!” Beautifully illustrated with an important message about facing down fears. Includes a section for adults with simple tips for helping children manage anxiety. Highly recommended for littles and big-gins alike!

Pub date: August 13, 2018

Grateful to NetGalley and the American Psychological Association’s Magination Press for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#Hector'sFavoritePlace #NetGalley