I'm so sorry - I only had this title as an acsm file, and it expired before I got around to reading it. My apologies!

I have given a 5-star rating by way of apology, and because I can't Give Feedback without giving a star rating.

Apologies again, and best of luck with your publications!

This an adorably illustrated guide to hope. It is pretty short, but it makes you feel good and inspired. Perfect for a short pick me up.

This book was so worth my time. Visually appealing and good for both the mind and soul. ‘Hope’ is one of my favorite words to reflect on and this book did so much in terms of helping me think about it in different ways. I would love to pick up a hard copy to keep but my desk for encouragement.

Isn't it common in our daily lives, as we read the news headlines and hear the state of the world and most of the times we feel like we want to make an impact but most of the times we aren't sure where to start? Especially in these pandemic times with all the social and environmental issues we'd love to help in some way.

Hope is a verb by Emily Ehlers is a fantastic cathalist to change by defining 6 steps on how to spring into action. That's the meaning behind the title, as if hope is not a passive word, but as active like a verb that can lead us to become an agent of change. Ehlers does that by presenting the content of this book with fantastic illustrations that include pieces of knowledge and information valuable for everyone who wants to be part of a change.

The book is kicked off by mentioning her personal example of being involved in different causes and how there might be a burnout involved by being unable of doing it all. I enjoyed how the author is empathic in the content, as the illustration encompass perfectly the bits of wisdom and guidance added on each one of the steps.

As a Sustainability professional, I loved to see the definition of sustainability with a great illustration of the world in a three-legged stool, where each of the legs represents one of the three pillars of society: economy, environment and social equity. I loved how Ehlers represented us individuals having three pillars that need to be taken care of: mind, body and soul. Also, the bit where she highlights the importance of storytelling and the power of stories was truly endearing, since this bit works reinforcing the idea that when we create new stories and open the door to new possibilities and potentially better endings. This perspective is truly empowering as a reader.

The format is user-friendly, so this book works like a good source of help when needed. I think it has a lot of inspirational content that is sorely needed nowadays, both the content and the coloring gives you a good boost of inspiration to focus on any quests one might have, as well as providing ideas for any endeavours that could be pursued. Definitely recommend it!

Hope is a Verb is an empowering, inspirational and much-needed book for the times in which we live, now more so than ever. Emily Ehlers is an author, illustrator and environmentalist with sound humour and an uncanny knack for sparking hope within people whose reserves of it are running on empty. As the pun-loving creative behind the beloved Instagram account @EcoWithEm_ , she shares ideas and illustrations that focus on planetary health, human happiness and the massive overlap between the two. She covers a wide range of topics that concern anyone who wants to live their life in a way that has a positive impact on people and the planet. She is passionate about sustainability, regenerative practices, beluga whales, rewilding, inclusivity, feminism, conscious creativity and cutting waste in all its forms (food, plastic, energy - all the things!). Emily is best known for finding light in the heaviest of issues and inspiring people to do good things in the world.

An accidental mental health advocate, she has wrestled with anxiety, rebels against the social-media-driven obsession with perfection and talks openly about her own inner world (which is ever-so ADHD). We can all put our hands up and say that at some point in time we have become overwhelmed about all the problems facing us and our world. If we simply ‘hope’ with wishful thinking that things will get better, nothing happens, but Ehlers reminds us that hope is a verb and what a powerful reminder it is. Her beautiful new book is full of illustrations, actions and information about how we can ensure we beat fear and issues that seek to overwhelm and are always able - even after the hour’s panic we’ll inevitably feel along the way - to muster our next action and move forward. It includes a little bit and about the author’s background, how her journey as an environmentalist unfolded and what inspired her to write her very first book.

It then moves on to guidance on how to not lose hope and instead how to choose hope, tips on how we can make a difference in our environment and how to Think Global and Act Local. There are plenty of self-care tips provided throughout and helpful hints on how to embrace who you truly are, how to overcome self-doubt, why you shouldn't change who you are as as an individual as well as wider and more general mental health tips and how to avoid burnout when you are trying to do good things in the world. Ultimately, this book teaches readers that hope isn’t just something you HAVE it’s something you DO. This is particularly important because it makes the word actionable. A great addition to any library, Hope is a Verb is packed with excellent information to help you live through the tough times, centre yourself and be the best person you can possibly be at all times. Highly recommended.

An endearing, uplifting little book that truthfully packs a punch. Its cutesy looks are deceiving in that the messages therein are rather deep. A great book for when you’re feeling overwhelmed by what’s happening in your world or the world at large.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Hope is hard. Especially in a time like this. This book walks you through simple steps on how you can alter steps in your life to bring hope and light into your life. It is not fake, full of empty promises or anything like that. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This has got to be the most appealing and deeply detailed book on resilience, overcoming trauma and more than that, accepting the pain and healing through it. I a trying my best to capture everything that resonated with me in this book and I loved most the layout for in six chapters the author covers everything from being in a state of panic to finding your path and accepting your people. It's a fun and encouraging read, deeply moving too.
Thanks Netgalley for this eARC.

A beautiful, quick read with lovely illustrations. A lot of books of this nature tend to fall victim to toxic positivity, but this felt much more genuine with helpful advice that I have to imagine a whole lot of people would find useful, especially given what we've all been through the last year and a half. As others have said, this would make a great coffee table book!

Unfortunately due to file issues, I was unavailable to read this or download it. Would love another opportunity. Please email me!

Hope Is A Verb should be required reading for the age we live in. In the face of such dark times, it's hard to keep hopeful as we pick up the pieces and try to fix the world, and this book struck such a chord with me as a generally peppy person who was extremely hopeless in the face of the pandemic, the reckoning against sexism and racism, and climate change.

This book offers tangible steps to pick yourself up and keep going. I would highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book. The pictures are fun. The artistry within it is creative. But it just lacked in substance. Nothing was new or revolutionary in the book.

Anxiety is an issue for many people, and I do think some of these tips can help deal with the day to day. But I think this book is far too superficial to truly be a helpful book for anyone really dealing with anxiety and depression.

I also had issues with the last chunk of the book when it started in on the typical "woke" talking points of privilege, BLM, "allies," etc. Separating people into categories (or identities) does nothing to help build people up, increase their confidence, and diminish anxiety. In many ways, it simply creates more.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a great reminder of many of the basic things we already know about mental health, being positive and focusing on what is really important. In my opinion, the highlights here are the illustrations and the design choices, not that the text isn’t important, but without the graphical elements it wouldn’t be half as interesting or fun.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.

5 ⭐️!!! I am so surprised at how much I loved this little book. I worried that this would be another self-help book centered around toxic positivity, but it ended up being a literal piece of art that explored the nuance that comes with becoming a hopeful person in a sometimes hopeless world. This is almost a graphic novel, with beautiful illustrations on nearly every page. I read it in one sitting, and I will definitely be buying a physical copy.

This would be a great gift/ coffee table book. I would recommend it to anyone who feels anxious and burdened by the change they want to see in the world but feels like it is impossible to make an impact. I really appreciated the author's notes regarding her privilege as a cisgender white woman, systemic issues that can make hope difficult, and the discussions on the importance of voting, allyship, and being imperfect.

The book serves as a beginner's guide to optimism and acts as a personal catalyst for change. It promotes solutions to common problems each individual faces at some point in their lives-- anxiety, fear, depression, and more. If we're always looking for the darkness, we'll never see the light, and this book truly embodies that sentiment. That being said, the book does not offer anything mind-blowing but rather restates common notions to these problems.

Hope Is a Verb is by far the most colorful nonfiction/self-help book that I've read. The illustrations are admirable and looking at the colorful pages made me feel like I am reading a children's book but with a serious content. Reading this was a fun experience! The artist in me (self-proclaimed lol) was definitely satisfied.

I admire how this book gets its readers involved by providing few pages to answer and reflect on. I found the activities helpful in a sense that it gave me an opportunity to pause and ponder over the topics discussed. The book dwelled on six steps explaining how "hope" is not something that we should just wait on, but something that we should actually work on. This book is definitely helpful toward knowing yourself, discovering what you truly value, figuring out how your talents/hobbies could be helpful, etc. However, I felt like it lacked impact on the discussion of one's relationship to his/her community. Maybe this could be saved for another book? Yay!

Overall, this book is such an enjoyable read and I would definitely reread it every now and then!

This was such a fun read! This book makes us think about our lives, how to face challenges and how we perceive the world around us. It helps us with anxiety, depression and other issues. The illustrations are simply wonderful and fun, it mixes so well with the story. It turned the book even more engaging than it already was!