Reviews

With each page turn, there is a different scene filled with mice doing everyday things like swinging on swings, buying cakes and jumping into swimming pools. The bouncy text lists the feelings and so gives the child reader an opportunity to point at the mouse they think fits the bill. This provides the chance to discuss body language and emotions, and to possibly discuss how the child feels themselves. Importantly, there are a few ‘negative’ emotions and qualities included, such as anger, meanness and being ‘bad’ (dropping litter), yet the overall tone is relatively light, and it ends on a positive note of bravery. The friendly illustrations are full of energy and detail, and the Richard Scarry-like feel of hustle and bustle will mean young children will enjoy poring over each page to spot details. There’s also a useful spread at the end about body language and how to work out what it means, including how important it is to understand others’ feelings. Useful and fun!

Everyone in Mousetown is out and about. Some of the mice are happy, some are sad and some are anxious about what the day may bring. Which mouse are you? Sometimes it’s hard to talk about how you feel, every day is different and there are lots of things that can change your routine or plans. Sharon Hopwood’s exceptional picture book ‘Little Mouse is Absolutely, Completely, Totally Fine’ is a fantastic way for young readers, parents and guardians to talk about body language and the way our emotions and feelings can change our day. With an abundance of emotive character mice to choose from on every page, the illustrations by Marisa Morea bring each one to life in a fun and accessible way.

Little Mouse is Absolutely, Completely, TOTALLY FINE! can stimulate important conversations about emotions and mental health. It’s perfect for young readers who are learning to articulate their own feelings and will reassure them that emotional feelings are valid and important to acknowledge, children can also be encouraged to discuss how they feel in particular situations. This is a great book to use in an early years or Key Stage One classroom. As well as stimulating conversation it can encourage learning about adjectives and their synonyms and also initiate games, in an I Spy game children can be encouraged to spot the mouse wearing a spotty dress, the mouse eating ice cream etc. It could also stimulate a wall display, each child could draw or paint themselves and label it with their own feeling for that day.

Sharon came to visit our preschool group and did a lovely session lasting about an hour. Straight away the children were engaged and excited to see what Sharon had in her “little mouse” bag! Even the less confident children were joining in, giving answers, and pulling different expressions to show the varying emotions. Sharon was brilliant with the children and was so enthusiastic when each child spoke to her, it engaged the children even more! The children all loved the games that she played with them and they also loved making their little mouse masks to make them all into happy little mice! At the end Sharon signed some books for us and told the children they were all awesome, which of course the children loved! We would definitely recommend the workshop for preschool children as we have had nothing but positive feedback from the parents since the event!

Our little library visitors had a fantastic time learning about emotions and body language through Sharon’s brilliantly engaging workshop. She had them shouting and laughing and playing along with fantastic games that taught them valuable social skills. Everyone at the library loves Little Mouse and it was really exciting for the children (and us!) to meet the author.

We were thrilled to have Sharon Hopwood visit our school for our EYFS and infants. From the moment she stepped into the room, she captivated our young audience with her engaging storytelling and delightful sense of humor. It was remarkable to see even our most challenging listeners completely engrossed in her words. The book she shared resonated deeply with the children, not only entertaining them but also teaching valuable lessons about emotions. Her ability to connect with the children on such a personal level allowed them to explore their feelings in a safe and fun way. We are truly grateful for the experience and highly recommend Sharon Hopwood to any school looking to inspire young minds and foster a love for reading. Thank you for a memorable and impactful visit!

It was a pleasure to welcome Sharon Hopwood, author of Little Mouse is Absolutely, Completely, Totally Fine! to school. Sharon told us all about being an author, how long it took her to write her book, how she used her imagination to write the story and how the book can help with our everyday emotions. Some children were part of the workshop and helped act out their emotions by using facial expressions and body language. We got to meet the character Little Mouse and Sharon came and signed copies of the book. Sharon has inspired our children to become authors of their own story!

Our children thoroughly enjoyed Sharon’s visit and were inspired to see themselves as authors presently, and how this could become a career path for them in the future. The book is amazing in supporting children’s understanding of emotions and feelings, and Sharon’s presentation and games were a fun and engaging way to spark some thought on body language and empathy. We would gladly welcome Sharon back again.

What a fun-filled afternoon we had! Little Mouse certainly captivated our little people! Sharon helped them understand that all feelings are valid, and all have their place. Her attention-grabbing body language games beautifully demonstrated that when we recognise what feelings might look like, we can help ourselves and our friends. Little Mouse is a fantastic story for children who are beginning to consider the complexities of human emotions.

Sharon’s engaging visit was the talk of the school long after she and Little Mouse left! The children loved joining in her dynamic, interactive session where they were introduced to a whole host of feelings and emotions and became expert Body Language Detectives. Having a strong emphasis on empowering children to recognise how they and others are feeling, Sharon’s workshop gave a welcome boost to the message we teach about the importance of taking care of mental as well as physical health. The downloadable activities on Sharon’s website provided an extra opportunity to reinforce that message back in the classroom. We’re keen to find lots of different ways to promote a lifelong love of reading and writing, so hearing a published author read the book they wrote and being able to quiz them about the process was truly inspiring too. The children now love playing at being Little Mouse and Sharon’s book has become a firm favourite in our reading corner!

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Read the Just Imagine Book Review of Little Mouse is Absolutely, Completely, TOTALLY FINE! (August 2024), here »

When your little, feelings are so confusing and hard to separate. Us adults also sometimes forget that kids need extra help understanding what they are feelings. This book is great for helping kids understand there are so many emotions you can feel and sometimes multiple at the same time. My daughter loved guessing the feelings of the different mice and discussing the ones she didn't understand. This book would be wonderful in schools for that reason.

We all love Little Mouse, a fun and important book about feelings and emotions for ages 3+. Sharon really engages with the children making it a very special and interactive story time.

I was absolutely thrilled to be featured in Hanbury CE Primary School's newsletter following my visit to celebrate Anti-Bullying Week 2024! It was such an honour to share Little Mouse with the students and teachers and I’m so grateful for their kind words. To read the full article about the visit CLICK HERE

This story serves as a wonderful tool for parents and caregivers to help children navigate and label emotions like happy, sad, confused, scared, angry, calm. With detailed illustrations and meaningful rhyming text, this story provides a safe space for children to recognise their own feelings and even how to be a body language detective. With courage and humour, Little Mouse learns that it's okay to not be completely fine all the time - in fact, it’s absolutely, totally normal. A comforting, insightful book that opens the door for important conversations about mental health, making it a valuable resource for both children and adults. https://www.booksthathelp.co.uk/understanding-emotions

We loved having Sharon come for a Storytime with 'Little Mouse' in the shop. Sharon was so engaging with the young kids, making talking about feelings and emotions fun through her picture book and Little Mouse activity sheets. We would love to work with Sharon again in the future and can't wait to see what she writes next!

"I honestly can't express how much we loved having Sharon here for an event with us, she was fantastic with the children and so engaging, the room was alive with excitement and joy from children and adults alike! Little mouse is a spectacular book all about reading emotions and being a body language detective, a must have for any bookshelf! This would be a great book and event programme to roll out into schools, because there is a strong need for these types of discussion and awareness amongst children!! We cannot wait to see what is next"

Sharon is an absolute natural with the children that come to her events. She made all of them feel welcomed and made sure to talk to them all. Every child that came to our storytelling event left happy and in love with Little Mouse. We cannot recommend this book enough, it's a true gem of a picture book and one that is really going to help children with learning about all of the emotions we experience at some point in our lives.