Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective

Hattie Harmony #1

by Elizabeth Olsen, Robbie Arnett, Marissa Valdez (Illustrator)

Award-winning actress Elizabeth Olsen and esteemed musician Robbie Arnett have created a fresh approach to wellness in a new series that shows children ways to manage anxiety.

Meet Hattie Harmony, Worry Detective.

She’s always there to help her friends when they need her. And the first day of school can cause a lot of jitters—from speaking in front of the class to taking the bus. Hattie always finds the perfect tools to calm her friends’ bodies and minds. But when her own fears start to bubble up, can Hattie learn to overcome them herself?

Critically acclaimed actress Elizabeth Olsen and esteemed musician and writer Robbie Arnett have created an irresistible new character filled with warmth and humor to introduce the youngest readers to the importance of self-care.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Mental Health, School, Fiction, Juvenile, Back To School

40 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2022

About the author

Elizabeth Chase Olsen is an American actress and author. She is best known for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe media franchise. Her performance in WandaVision (2021) garnered her nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

Olsen and her husband Robbie Arnett co-wrote a children's book, titled Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective, which is slated for a June 2022 release.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a human being that's a walking pit of anxiety, I LOVED the pure bejesus out of that book.

I wish that I would've had something like this to read during my extremely anxious childhood years.

I'm glad that kids now have this great book to read, appreciate and realizing that they're not alone in their anxiety.

Good job Wanda Maximoff!

[Dann]

Super cute story that may help children get ready for some potentially stressful situations at school. :)

[Amaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'était drôle.

[Rebecca Crunden]

Such a cute book! A sweet little tale about handling stress and worry.

☆ Blog | Twitter ☆

[Gary Anderson]

As the first day of school approaches, some of Hattie Harmony’s friends are worried or anxious. It’s a good thing that Hattie is a Worry Detective with a tool belt full of strategies for dealing with big emotions. Hattie teaches her friends how to use mindful movement, stress balls, facing fear, and mindful breathing, as well as their mantra “Worry, worry, go away! There’s no time for you today!” With anxiety on the rise in school-age children, celebrity authors Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett provide simple to understand and implement “tools” when children (and others) feel overwhelmed or afraid. Cheerful illustrations by Marissa Valdez complement the text, and useful back matter explains in more detail how to put Hattie’s strategies to effective use. Thanks to “Good Morning America” for providing a copy for me to share with young readers.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: The first day of school had finally arrived! Some kids were excited and a little worried. Luckily, Wildwood Elementary had Hattie Harmony, Worry Detective. Hattie had many tools up her sleeve, and she was ready to get to WORK!

Premise/plot: Hattie Harmony is a cat who LOVES to help. It is the first day of school, and Hattie finds plenty of classmates who want/need her help with their worries. Hattie's got a solution for every worry. And she'll always willing to share her techniques.

My thoughts: I liked this one. I was a bit skeptical. It is a celebrity author. It can tend to be didactic. But. I went into it with an open mind (aka low expectations). I liked Hattie. I did. She's a CAT which definitely helps me trust her. She's caring and compassionate. (Also helps me like her as a character). The worries seemed legitimate and age-appropriate. VERY age-appropriate actually. The advice you could take as either a) completely didactic or b) actually instructive. Your pick. Advice, like always, is not one size fits all. Far from it. These are general ways (from a humanistic perspective) to calm your body when you are stressed or anxious. (Think taking deep breaths. Or giving yourself a pep talk.) It does not tackle worry or stress from a spiritual perspective. (Just so you don't expect that.)

[Irono Yami · Rating 5 out of 5]

let me tell you, Olsen and Arnett are gonna be good parents!
and look at these illustrations by M. Valdez, so many details!

[⋆ kim ୨୧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

as someone who deals with anxiety as an adult, i can’t help but be so proud of lizzie and robbie for finding a way to illustrate those struggles for children and give them the tools they need to get through daily struggles. the illustrations are adoooorable. loved it!

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

(And not just because I would give any project Elizabeth Olsen works on 5 stars)

[Yapha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good types for handling worry. A little bit didactic.

[Union County Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like children's books that touch on emotional intelligence as much as I do, this is for you. I can't wait to read it again to my kids as they continue to grow up, and quite frankly it was a great reminder as an adult of some basic coping skills for anxiety.

A bright and approachable picture book that discusses big emotions and gives practical, kid-friendly skills to handle them. Hattie has a lot of tools to help her friends when they get worried, but when the first day of school arrives even Hattie gets anxious. With a cute rhyming mantra "Worry, worry, go away! There's no time for you today!" and a variety of coping skills, Hattie helps her friends and herself. Not only does the reader see the characters trying out different skills but the book also includes an endnote with further information on the skills used. Grades PreK-3

- Reviewed by Chelsea G.

[Brenda Tellez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Además de hacer una impresionante Scarlet Witch, Elizabeth Olsen acompañada de su esposo Robbie Arnett crearon a esta simpática gatita que detecta las preocupaciones de los demás y les da herramientas para resolverlas.
Al peque le encantó el libro, sencillo, no muchas palabras por página, y lo mejor: ejemplifica de forma amena los temores de los peques y la mejor forma de controlarlos.
Suuuper bonito para niños, tiene pocos días de haberse publicado, actualmente solo disponible en inglés (plus para quienes están en la enseñanza del idioma) pero segura estoy de que estará pronto disponible en español.

[Aina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this book is so cute!!!
It deals with the anxiety topic, it helps you to acknowledge it and it contains some ways that can help you to manage it in your day to day through a little story.
It's mainly aimed towards kids but the tricks mentioned and explained in the book to cope with moments of anxiety are for everyone really.

Not that I read it because is written by Elizabeth Olsen 😉

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely a great book for adults and kids alike. I was going to publicly roast this book for making a dolphin (who lives on land) do breathing exercises to melt their worries, but then I remembered that dolphins are in fact mammals who do in fact come up out of the water for air. I decided I needed to publicly roast myself instead.

[May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable book that teaches children about emotions such as anxiety, and ways to manage and cope. I really wish there was a book like this when I was in elementary school. The illustrations were too cute!

[Elle O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even as an adult who suffers with anxiety, this book is extremely soothing. Lizzie and Robbie did an amazing job. Explains all of the techniques Hattie uses so they can be used in daily life. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[cia · Rating 5 out of 5]

i just remembered i have a signed copy of this book (by both lizzie olsen and robbie arnett🫶🏻) and decided to finally read it.

it was so cute and little alexia would’ve loved it!
(i feel like i’m cheating by adding this book to my 2023 challenge)

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen 😌

[Andrea Dearborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book teaching kids about first day of school anxiety and some ways to deal with it.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about first day of school worries. My incoming kindergartener is chanting Hattie's mantra all around the house. I hope that it helps her if she has butterflies on the first day of school.

[Lily Woodard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Olsen is just an amazing author. would definitely read again

[Kenly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that Elizabeth and Robbie decided to create these books. I can't wait for my nephew to be old enough to show them to him and read them together.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great tools listed at the back that go into deeper detail about the worry tools used throughout the book. An engaging story for kiddos that will also hopefully teach them something too

[☆ shae ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely recommended for children to overcome their worries and anxiety

[Lannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My girls really enjoyed this book. It has great strategies for dealing with worries in a kid-friendly tone. Written by actress Elizabeth Olson and her husband, adorable collabo.

[Zeina (Taylor's Version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I attended the online virtual event (an unlikely story) where both Robbie and Lizzie read the book so for me that was the best thing that has ever happened! The book itself it perfect for all ages, it shows you how to identify what you are feeling and how to help yourself and others that experience anxiety or panic attacks. The book was narrated beautifully and I'm so excited for the next book!

[SamSamSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were good tips, but I wish the characters were people instead of animals.

[maddy]

i just…i mean…i don’t

as a twenty-something with an intense late-blooming anxiety condition this was the kinda book that i wish i had as a kid - and it’s a book i’ll be getting for my godkids

visually the book is dynamic and bright and the art style really makes these characters feel authentically designed by children rather than for children. the language choices are very basis level as the book is marketed for children in the 4-8 range (which i hope goes up as the series goes along) but it never feels in-cohesive or forced

each character - even hattie harmony herself - had varying stressors that came with from first day back to school vibes and each character received individual ways to combat that anxiety. like, they’re tools that are so obvious to me as an adult with (minimal) life experience but when put into context such useful stuff to try out when i’m having an anxious day or a panic attack is brewing

i also purchased the audiobook and having the authors read the book to me and i followed along physically was such a good way to read the story. the pacing and the voices and the crossover were seemless

loved this like big time and can’t wait to follow along as the books are released!

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hattie Harmony is a master at helping others make their worries go away, showing her new friends at school (as well as readers) a few different ways to manage anxiety and new experiences in healthy and affirming ways. In addition to being adorable, this book is also a great addition to any library or classroom.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

hattie slayed