In the book Hairy Scary’s Bad Day, Hairy Scary is reading a magazine called Scary Monsters Monthly and becoming more and more depressed. With every turn of the page, he’s confronted by another famous monster. Each one is much more scary than he is. In fact when he thinks about it, he isn’t scary at all.  Children don’t run away screaming in fear when they see him, all they want to do is hug him.

Lots of children find themselves in the same position as Hairy Scary. They see friends they know on Facebook leading apparently much better lives.   Or celebrities in magazines surrounded by adoring fans, showered with gifts and unearned money. They see pictures of ultra thin models, and chisel-jawed actors and feel they should look the same.

“What use is a monster who isn’t scary?” Wonders Hairy Scary. “Why can’t I be like those other monsters?” It’s easy to be deceived into feeling that the very last thing you should be is yourself – ask any child.

Trouble is, like it or not, you can’t be someone you’re not. And the sooner you stop trying to be someone else, the sooner you’ll be happy being you. At his most miserable, Hairy Scary finds out just how great it is to be him, when all the children in Squaretown come round to give him hugs (in return for all the hugs he’s given them in the past). That’s the great thing about hugs – you can’t give one without getting one back.

As soon as children learn that it’s OK to be themselves, instead of struggling to be someone else, they have taken an important step towards long-term happiness.

Squarehead’s Lessons For Life plan – a series of structured lessons based on the books – will soon be available for schools.  You can buy Hairy Scary’s Bad Day on our site for £5.99 – today if you want!