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I’m not afraid

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One evening, Herbie the hedgehog found himself a long way from home on the other side of the deep, dark forest. As the evening starts to fade into night, Herbie finds there is a lot to be afraid of.
Can he overcome his fears and bravely get himself home to his cosy, little den?

Follow Herbie on his adventure through the woods as he discovers that being afraid and overcoming your fears means you are brave! A beautifully illustrated and charming debut children books from Ellen Nancy.

26 pages, Paperback

Published June 15, 2023

7 people want to read

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Ellen Nancy

8 books

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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Natalie  all_books_great_and_small .
3,043 reviews154 followers
July 19, 2023
I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Lovebookstours.

I'm Not Afraid is a cute illustrated picture book for children about a lost little hedgehog called Herbie trying to get home. Along the way, Herbie encounters many things that make him nervous and scared, but he uses positive thinking, perseverance, and resilience to get himself home. The illustrations give a good job of emphasising Herbies' fears but in a child friendly way. This would make a good book to talk to children about fears and discuss parts of the story as they read along.
Profile Image for Adrienna.
Author 18 books242 followers
April 10, 2024
I would love to see the paperback copy, since the cover is gorgeous--love the purples and the hedgehog looking uncertain, scared or slightly frightened, and a bit worried on his little adventure. Yet, Herbie reminds himself "I'm not afraid" through every obstacle, detour, and finding his way--he has to affirm that he will not be afraid and continue to push through this journey of finding his way, his home, his sweet spot of comfort including his warm milk to unwind.

Lisa Richardson, narrator, did a fabulous job and the sound effects made me hear the story twice today! I listened to it at the beginning of my day (waking up getting ready for work), singing the mantra, "I'm not afraid" of uncertainty or unknown for my day at work and at the end of the day, listened again, to be relieved hearing the audiobook by female narrator--such comfort that all is well.

I would read this to my 3-year-old niece and allow her to listen to the complimentary audio version; share my review as given this treasure.

Adrienna Turner
Author of "Marked Souls"
PIW/SOL Book Club coordinator of two groups
Profile Image for Gemma Best.
482 reviews
July 19, 2023
‘I’m not afraid’ is a really cute story about Herbie the Hedgehog trying to get home even though he is scared. My daughter loved reading this story and she gave a big cheer at the end when Herbie made it. The repetitive ‘I’m not afraid’ will be great for really young readers who will be able to join in as the story is being read to them. The illustrations are lovely and Herbie is adorable. I think this is a great book for young bookworms.

I received a gifted copy of this book. This review is my honest opinion and written voluntarily.
Profile Image for Yamini.
604 reviews34 followers
December 30, 2023
It was a small and cute story of overcoming your fears. From little things in life to bigger changes, the narrative discusses them individually from a child's perspective. It is showcasing the journey of acceptance and development. This could be a great book to read aloud to your children.

Thank you @librarythingofficial @hb_publishing_house and @ellennancyauthor for the cute Audiobook ARC.
Genre: #childrensbooks
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Profile Image for Sonja Charters.
2,549 reviews133 followers
June 28, 2023
This book is so cute and would make a lovely gift or beautiful addition to your own bookshelves.

We follow Herbie who is trying to get back to his den, but Hasbro go through the dark forest to get there.
Along the way he encounters lots of things that could be thought of as scary, but he pushes ahead saying to himself that he's not afraid.
When he finally reaches home safe and sound, he feels very proud of being brave.

I loved the story. Poor Herbie all alone and trying to get back home. I wondered if the little ones might be a bit worried, but they cheered him along on his journey shouting out "I'm not afraid"

The font was nice and bold and clear, which made it easy to follow along with my finger as I read. There's maybe a few too many words for early readers, but the story is great for young readers to read along or read to younger siblings too.

I loved the illustrations! Herbie has such a cute face and adorable expressions. The pictures for each section were also full of things to discuss or for the little ones to guess what Herbie might be worried about for each part of his journey home.

I loved this and it looks lovely. A great one to be grabbed time and again off the shelves for bedtime reading - but could also make a good storytime book at school when talking about being brave or resillience.
Profile Image for Louise Jane.
399 reviews72 followers
September 2, 2023
This is one of the most inspiring books I've read in a long time!

The adorable character of Herbie couldn't be more perfect for teaching readers bravery and determination. The mantra he repeats to himself is what makes this book so powerful.

Herbie might be scared but he feels the fear, tells himself he isn't afraid, and pushes forward. It shows children that whatever they're scared of they have the power to overcome those worries with their own words. And that facing your fears is not only possible but necessary sometimes in order to reach an end goal, even if it seems hard at first.

Overall, I loved it. The illustrations are beautiful, the story is well thought out and will leave young readers feeling powerful. I think that classrooms and home libraries alike should have this book on their shelves!
10 reviews1 follower
Read
July 24, 2023
I think it's really important for children to have access to stories that help them with worries and fears. This is a sweet little tale about a hedgehog named Herbie and the fears he has to face.

One day, whilst in the woods, Herbie finds himself a long way from home. As he makes his way home, he is forced to confront some of his fears, including the whistling wind, the rushing river and the spooky shadows. Each time, Herbie tells himself that he's not afraid and determinedly carries on.

There's a great lesson here - one of encouragement, self-belief and not giving up. Herbie is a sweet character and the colour palette is beautifully atmospheric. A lovely little read.
Profile Image for Dawn.
1,571 reviews19 followers
January 9, 2024
I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy through LibraryThing. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Herbie the Hedgehog needs to get home. As he makes his way through the mud, over an old bridge, through the rustling grass and the woods, he repeats the mantra, “I am not afraid.” Even when it starts to get dark and he sees shadows and hears night sounds, he continues to repeat his mantra until he makes it safely home.

This audiobook is short (a little over 6 minutes), but it’s adorable. Children of all ages will enjoy it. And it teaches them that putting on a brave face can help them to deal with fear!
1,111 reviews23 followers
July 20, 2023
What a beautifully illustrated book. The colours, the drawings, the text font. It all adds up to one stunningly visual read.
Herbie, the hedgehog, is one of the cutest main characters I've ever seen. His bravery against the things he comes across is lovely and will remind children that facing our fears is the only way to survive.
The text is not rhyming or overly simplified, as one might expect in a book aimed at such young readers.
I think families will love to cuddle up together and read this.
193 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2023
Herbie the Hedgehog is our main character. He is just trying to find his way home but he has to go through the scary forest.

Loved this book, initially I was drawn in by the adorable front cover and the rest of the illustrations were equally as beautiful.

A lovely story of how a young Hedgehog found the strength in himself to be brave. He kept repeating that he was not afraid. Wonderful moral for young readers.

High praise from my tiny human who has asked me to read it again and again!
Profile Image for Bookish Coffee UK.
309 reviews19 followers
July 26, 2023
My honest review:
I love this cute little childrens book, ive been reading it to my 1 year old and he loves to try and grab the hedgehog - on every page. 🥰

The story line has been well written and flows like water.. the meaning behind the story is not everything is as scary as it seems and with a little bravery you can get anywhere, even in the dark.

5/5stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Profile Image for Sam Symonds.
238 reviews9 followers
September 3, 2023
What a sweet story about overcoming fear! Herbie is going through the dark woods all alone trying to get home and we join him as he keeps going despite his fear. My kids really enjoyed the story and how brave Herbie was! The illustrations are also beautiful and really complement the story!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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