Harvey the Hippo Helps Grayson the Goat: Coping with Anxiety

Children Can Learn How to Defeat Anxiety Like a Superhero!

As Grayson deals with his anxiety, he discovers that not only is his mother a support and advocate for him, but Harvey and other friends in the zoo encourage and support him, too. Grayson's momma understands his anxiety and gives him some tools to help him calm himself. Grayson's friends provide him words of encouragement and let him know that they are there for him. In the end, Grayson is a "superhero" goat and tells his readers that they can be, too. Harvey the Hippo Helps Grayson the Goat is the third book in the Harvey the Hippo series.

"Harvey the Hippo Helps Grayson the Goat is a sweet book that contains real and helpful information. By personifying Grayson, the reader sees that a goat with social anxiety is helped to overcome his fear. He uses a breathing technique, distraction, compartmentalization and support from family and friends to help him conquer his fear of socializing. Grayson's self-esteem soars when he finds he is able to do that which he was trying to avoid. Lovely pictures accompany the story and will be appreciated by any child who has felt anxious in group situations without the presence of a parent. -Laurie Zelinger, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, board-certified psychologist, author of Please Explain Anxiety to Me!

"Hooray, Harvey is back with his friend Grayson! This time, his goal is to help young children develop the inner resources to manage separation anxiety. The psychologically informed text and tender illustrations gift young children with Grayson, a handsome goat. Through clever rhyme and an expressive face, Grayson shows us how he physically soothes himself, how he puts words to his feelings and how he relies on others to aid him. Caregivers will find this Harvey tale a gentle bridge to facilitate conversations about a common and challenging childhood issue." -Toni Seidl, child psychotherapist, LCSW, retired

"In this book, anxious feelings are identified and named. Grayson's mother acknowledges those feelings while providing reassurance of adult support. Grayson uses breathing exercises to feel calmer, and his friends provide words of affirmation and encouragement. It's a perfect model for children who are working to face challenging situations or undercurrents of anxiety, especially if they don't know how to describe how they are feeling. My favorite aspect is the visual representation of the breathing exercise and pausing the story to practice along with Grayson during each reading. This book would be a valuable addition to any classroom or home library." -Leah Corsover, director and lead teacher at a cooperative nursery school

Learn more at www.HarveyTheHippo.com

From Loving Healing Press

In a time long ago, Abby Pete retired from teaching English and started a family and a catering/takeout food business in central Pennsylvania. Years passed and she moved to Philadelphia, bringing her family, but not her business, with her. There she decided to pursue another of her interests, animals, and became a docent at the Philadelphia Zoo, where she can happily talk about all of the animals in the collection.Abby lives with her husband, Ron, in Philadelphia and is lucky to have all of her married children and four grandchildren live close enough to take them to "her" zoo frequently.

Leslie Pontz is a fiber sculptor with a master's degree in Fine Arts from Syracuse University where she did her thesis on children's art, and was the recipient of two grants from the National Endowment for the Arts through the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts as an Artist-in-residence. Leslie has shown internationally in invitational and juried exhibits in France, Brazil, Ireland, and Venezuela as well as throughout the U.S. She is the recipient of several awards for her work, which is featured in many private and public collections including but not limited to the Kamm, Best Western, Chestnut Hill Hotel and Philadelphia Museum of Art collections.Leslie lives with her husband Curt in Philadelphia, PA. Their five grown children have given them eight grandchildren.