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Be Happy! A Little Book of Mindfulness, by Maddy Bard

Martha Terry Martha Terry

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    • Be Happy! A Little Book of Mindfulness

    Score

    8/10

    Price as reviewed:

    £7.99

    Title: Be Happy! A Little Book of Mindfulness
    Author: Maddy Bard
    Illustrator: Emma Dodd
    Published: 2023

    Available as paperback
    View now at amazon.co.uk

    About Be Happy! A Little Book of Mindfulness

    Filled with pearls of wisdom and positivity, originally written during lockdown, this heartwarming story is told by two adorable dogs, Hucky and Buzz.

    The thoughts expressed by Hucky and Buzz reflect the emotions, moods and feelings which will resonate with every young child. In this deceptively simple book Maddy Bard, a mindfulness and meditation coach, shares her tips on boosting confidence, positivity and self-belief. Featuring the creators’ own adorable dogs, and brought to life with Emma Dodd’s enchanting illustrations, Hucky and Buzz is a little gem of a book – a doggy handbook for a healthy and happy life.

    Review

    This colourful children’s book contains little nuggets on nurturing healthy emotions such as kindness, gratitude and love. Each page focuses on one instruction, such as “Be Kind”. Bold and appealing illustrations give the visual impression of the words. For example, for the page on “Be Thankful”, the two dogs are sniffing a dandelion together, with the words: “Hucky and Buzz appreciate the little things. Look at the beautiful world around you. What are you thankful for?” It’s very simple, but engaging, encouraging the reader to tap into their emotions by making them think about the question.

    It’s targeted at young children, either just able to read for themselves, or to listen to and enjoy the joyful pictures.

    Eight-year-old reader Guy Owen says: “It has good examples of how you should feel. I like the characters, they have a good bond of friendship.

    “The pictures are nice. They make me feel playful.”

    Verdict

    A sweet little book for young children, with bold and joyful pictures, cute dogs and plenty of practical snippets to help the reader be more mindful and appreciate their emotions. An encouraging way to tap into mindfulness for any dog-loving child!

    View now at amazon.co.uk

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    Martha Terry
    Martha Terry

    H&H features editor
    Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
    Martha Terry

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