Author(s): Doctor Harmony

Picture Books

Al dreads seeing his sad hippo, Jo, who fills him with woe. What makes Al and Jo sad? Find out how he learns to live with Jo and how he learns to cope with sad feelings in this fun, rhyming educational book. Can you find Jo, hiding on each page? Kids, try out the fun activities in the back of the book to learn more about dealing with Jo, the sad hippo. There is also a useful adults page at the end of the book to guide discussion with children about sadness and managing it in constructive ways. "Jo, My Sad Hippo" is one of four books in The Building Resilience picture book series. This series gives children, teachers and parents advice on how to deal with common situations and uncomfortable feelings. It also encourages parent-child discussion about difficult topics. Some topics (feelings and even common life events such as death) are traditionally taboo or are challenging for adults to talk about. If adults are uncomfortable talking about issues or feelings, it is even more difficult for children to discuss them or to know how to effectively cope with situations.This range of books opens the communication pathways, in a fun way, and helps children and adults face matters without shame, embarrassment or stigma. The author, Doctor Harmony, is an Australian psychiatrist and mother who has the desire to help build resilience in children by promoting awareness of feelings, positive communication and development of constructive coping skills. Having seen many adults who struggle with these issues, the hope is to prevent mental illness by promoting the development of these skills early in life. Look out for the other books in Building Resilience book series one: The Cat's Got My Tongue (A book about Shyness and Performance Anxiety) My Pet Monster (A book about Worry) Kanga, My Dragon of Anger If you like series one, look out for series two! REVIEW by Stephen Thompson, Editor and Publisher (Essteemedia) "What a great series. Gorgeous pictures, cute rhymes and wonderfully presented. What more could you ask for in a series of kids' books? Well. you could ask for an important message about behaviour, and maybe a note to parents about how to reinforce that message, and maybe a game or two to play. Check. The series has all that. They are not just picture books but are also handy reference books for parents ... and even adults in general. They might be set out as books for children, but there are a few tips in there that could help many grown-ups. Highly recommended for children of all ages."