How to Feel Awesome Every Day

Elly Awesome (text),  Astred Hicks (illus),  How to Feel Awesome Every Day, Random House Australia,  2 Oct 2017,  192pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780143786085

Elly Awesome is, as she explains, a vlogger and television presenter. This book is the result of putting into print some of the advice, activities and recipes from her YouTube™ series. It’s a busy, happy book, generously splashed with ways to be positive and, hey, awesome. There are pages for reflection (e.g. goal setting, things that frustrate, what makes you feel better about yourself), activities to do within the book (e.g. colouring, making a paper box, designing bookmarks), and activities to do if you’re bored (e.g, outdoor activities, baking, craft ideas). It would be difficult to pick up this colourful book without finding something in it that appeals to girls and young women, no matter what mood they were in at the time. It encourages optimism while reflecting that no one feels on top of things all the time. Wouldn’t it be great if there was an equivalent book for boys or young men?

Reviewed by Pam Harvey