Review The Mind Matters Children’s Book By Julie Derrick
Discover The Mind Monsters books by Julie Derrick which raise awareness of childhood OCD in our review here.
The Mind Monsters books, Hank the Hungry Monster, and the newly released Trixie the Treat Monster both by Julie Derrick are designed for children to raise awareness of childhood OCD and help introduce the topic to families in a fun and accessible way.
We were kindly gifted both Hank the Hungry Monster, and Trixie the Treat Monster for the purpose of an honest review. We asked our Mum On The Go reviewer Amy and her children to check them out and you can discover what they thought below.
Disclaimer: We were kindly gifted these books for purposes of an honest review. This post contains an affiliate link (see here).
Review Of The Mind Matters Children’s Book By Julie Derrick
As a parent and teacher, I was intrigued by the premise of The Mind Matters books by Julie Derrick- Hank the Hungry Monster and Trixie the Treat Monster, intrigued by the premise of the short stories.
Both books have been written to raise awareness of child OCD, with 50% of the proceeds from each book being donated to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
What Age Are The Mind Matters Books Aimed At?
The Mind Matter Books are aimed at children aged 5 to 8 years old.
What Are The Mind Matters Books About?
On seeing these books, my eight – year- old daughter was keen to have a look and enjoyed reading the stories to me.
Both stories focus on a different character. In Trixie the Treat Monster, we meet Leo, whilst in Hank the Hungry Monster we are introduced to Annabelle. Both characters are struggling with Obsessive Compulsive behaviors. These behaviors manifest themselves in different ways- counting and persistent hand washing.
The common factor in both stories is Hank- the mischievous monster who acts as a physical embodiment of the children’s anxiety. Hank takes up residence in the children’s brains and pushes ‘buttons’ which activate their anxious thoughts. Both children believe that compulsive behaviors will keep them safe or stop them from feeling nervous.
The stories are accompanied by lovely illustrations which reinforce the messages aid understanding.
What We Thought About The Mind Matter Books?
We both enjoyed The Mind Matter Books. My daughter was intrigued by the concepts they raised which opened up a window for some lovely discussion, where we discussed OCD specifically and mental health in general.
She was really impressed with the way the children asked for help and stood up to Hank, by challenging their thoughts. Both children, with support, were able to break the cycle of obsessive-compulsive behavior.
We both also really liked how OCD was given a physical presence in the form of Hank. The stories are thought-provoking and aid understanding of mental health problems
Unlike anything, I had read before and I could easily see how they could be utilised in my day job as a teacher. The idea of normalizing and destigmatizing Mental Health in young people is so important.
Given all of the above, I would recommend these interesting reads for children aged 5 – 8, parents and teachers of primary aged children.
Where To Purchase The Mind Matter Books?
Both Mind Matter Books have an RRP of £9.99 and you can purchase Hank the Hungry Monster from Amazon here and Trixie the Treat Monster from Amazon here.
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