This is a book of life advice that’s chicken-inspired. I found the concept intriguing, especially because chickens, as an animal, isn’t one I am familiar with. I have almost mostly seen them as food, one I am obsessed with.

The book is divided into seasons. The pages alternate between illustrations and advice. The advice is short and easily-applied. The author states their positive attributes which we can learn from like their lack of self consciousness and their confidence to express themselves. Being hyper self conscious myself, I will strive to be more like a chicken and express myself freely.

I enjoyed the digital illustrations. They were in a style I do not see often. The vibrant illustrations helped me distinguish each chicken’s personality. Chicken have distinct personalities, who knew!

This book also encouraged me to entertain the idea of keeping chickens when I have my own house (+garden) someday.

A cute book that's divided between seasons, the author tries to bridge the gap and find similarities between humans and chickens. The artwork is fun and the words are there to encourage the readers.

But, there's nothing more. I think it's only a one-time read. I love the end of the book though. Though only 70-80 pages of writing, I still think it could've been shorter...

This is the cutest little book and makes a perfect gift for any animal lover. So much fun and inspiration with great pictures too.

Book Review: Therapy Chickens: Let the Wisdom of the Flock Bring You Joy by Tedra Hamel

Rating: 4 Stars

If you're looking for a delightful read that will bring a smile to your face, "Therapy Chickens" by Tedra Hamel is the book for you. This charming book draws inspiration from the author's own flock of hens to deliver 50 bits of wisdom that are not only heartwarming but also insightful.

What I loved most about this book is the way it seamlessly weaves together humor and life lessons through the antics of these lovable chickens. Each piece of advice is like a nugget of gold, reminding us to embrace our true selves, connect with others, and let go of what holds us back. The illustrations throughout the book are simply gorgeous and add an extra layer of charm to the overall reading experience.

I particularly enjoyed how the book is organized by season, with each section focusing on different aspects of life such as enrichment, reflection, and balance. By using the chickens' behavior to illustrate these concepts, the author makes it easy for readers to relate and apply these lessons to their own lives.

While "Therapy Chickens" falls under the self-help genre, it stands out as a unique and refreshing take on personal growth. Whether you're a chicken enthusiast or simply someone looking for a light-hearted read, this book is sure to bring joy and inspiration to your day. As someone who doesn't raise chickens myself, I found this book to be a lovely addition to my library, and I believe it would make a wonderful gift for anyone in need of a little pick-me-up.

In conclusion, "Therapy Chickens" is a heartwarming and uplifting book that reminds us to find happiness in the simple things and embrace life's quirks with open arms. So go ahead, let the wisdom of the flock guide you towards a brighter, more joyful existence.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Cute little book of therapeutic chickens and what raising hens and roosters can teach an individual and how such process can promote mindfulness. Fun, colourful book written by someone who loves her animals and finds great joy in caring for them, as well as sadness when they pass away. Nice illustrations, too.

Even if you can’t fly, don’t be afraid to stretch your wings. You may just get off the ground after all!
Listen to the squawk of others. There really may be a hawk flying overhead.
You don’t have to have a huge house and lots of possessions to be happy. Your small coop is adorable, comfortable, and a wonderful home.
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Connect with others and find your flock.

Funny and quirky, therapy chickens is a must-have coffee table book for any appreciator of our feathered friends!

This book was so cute! And while it is not my usual kind of book, I'm happy I decided to take a look at it
It reminded me of by best friend since she loves chickens and she's passionate about living in a gentle way, much like the chickens.
The illustrations are super pretty and I loved how all the chickens are presented at the end

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of my honest review

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

I found Therapy Chickens to be rather calming. Not only did I learn new things about this plucky creature, but the words along with the illustrations brought me joy. It is impossible to be unhappy reading Therapy Chickens

A very colourful short book perfect for chicken lovers. I'm not sure "therapy" chickens is the right title for this though - Lessons from Chickens perhaps may be more apt

Therapy Chickens by Tedra Hamel is absolutely precious and I would defy anybody not to smile at least once when reading this utterly delightful book!

Written while a nursing student, Tedra Hamel is a self-described millenial and opens her heart about how she was seeking a type of grounding for the anxiety, depression and stress she was experiencing in her day to day life. Hamel sought an emotional grounding, in a flock of chickens and in September 2020, set to drawing them through the seasons, giving each drawing a narrative and I am ever so thankful that she did

This book is pure, unadulterated joy for me. I will absolutely be buying it the minute tit is published on 20 Feb 2024 as it is a book to brighten any day and to be kept in pride of place, easy to reach for and enjoy a page at a time, or all at once .But, if you are seeking a little bit of light in your day, if thinks are a bit murky, then this book is for you

The illustrations are delightful and full of whimsy, the narratives positive and unassuming, just gentle and wholesome.

Thank you very much to NetGalley for this beautiful book. The opinions are my own and the review given voluntarily

This book is for every chicken lover. The artwork is beautiful and the relationship between the author and her flock almost makes me want to get chickens...almost.

This is an uplifting and cheerful book. I love how the chickens all look happy. I chose this book for the title and message, but ended up loving the artwork the most! Each two-page spread has happy art and a short inspiring bit of wisdom. While I don't love my chickens as much as the author (and am skeptical that my chickens have as many thoughts and feelings as her chickens do) I loved reading about wisdom from her flock.

This is such a great format for an inspirational book. The author, a nurse and chicken keeper, drew her gorgeous, sweet chicken girls, and accompanied each piece of art with a word, and a short blurb about what we can learn from chickens.

What?

Yes, it sounds crazy, but honestly, they all make absolute sense. Chickens crow their little heads off when they lay an egg, acknowledging their job well done. That's absolutely something humans could do a lot more, singing their accomplishments.

When chickens are angry, they peck away to get the aggression out. When you're angry, get your feelings out, just don't hurt anyone.

Those are just my two favorites. On top of those, there's also amazing stories about the chickens, from one of them riding the handlebars on her bicycle to get the feel of flying, or how Buffy (YES THERE IS A CHICKEN NAMED BUFFY) would ride on her paddle board, with ease.

Amazing.

You will fall in love with these chickens. And maybe, if you're lucky, you'll feel an amazing lift in your spirit after reading this.

This picture book is absolutely darling! The art is very adorable, and the author is clearly passionate about chickens. Their commentary on each page is educational with a lighthearted tone to it that reflects how much the author likes chickens. My only gripe with the story was how small the text was. I felt myself squinting to read the paragraphs which was a bit cumbersome. But as an owner of silkie chickens myself, I adored this book and the sentiments behind it.

Definitely a niche type book. I currently have a friend who has a pet chicken which she adores so the perfect book for her.
All the pictures of chickens are illustrations which I wasn’t prepared for. But the fact they were based on the authors own flock made it unique and heartfelt.
I would say buy for the chicken loving person on your gift list!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a heart warming book. As a chicken owner myself, I was drawn to both the name and cover, and I was not disappointed by the theme of the book once I started reading. The author goes into a lot of details of various chicken quirks and adds little anecdotes of her own chickens in the story. The drawings are cute, with textured colors, and generally depict smiling chickens of various sizes. As someone who owns exclusively hens, I love that they were the main focus, though I think it was a huge oversight not to write anything about roosters.

I also thought that the PDF was very hard to read, since two pages were combined onto one, making it very zoomed out. I also think the author should reconsider their utilization of space. While the text for the story is centered on the page, it's far too small and not accessible for people who have deteriorating vision. It would be better to increase the font size as there's a lot of real estate available on every page anyway.

Furthermore, I think the drawings need more contrast. Most of them are smiling hens in various backgrounds, so there is a lack of "dynamics" in the artwork. There is one page where she draws the chickens skiing, which was different and memorable because of the uniqueness of the pose. She could also incorporate more "movement" in pages like "Peck" where the title is a verb that is easy to illustrate.

Lastly, while I enjoyed the homage to each of her chickens in the final few pages, it makes more sense to consolidate these into one Brady Bunch looking collage, rather than take up multiple pages of space.

Overall, I would definitely buy this and keep it in my living room for my guests to learn more about chickens. I would actually like to have a physical copy so I can read the pages out loud while recording my own chickens doing exactly what was written on the page because I identified so many of these behaviors in my own flock, that it made me smile thinking about them. Loaf and Grief were my favorite pages.

I have always loved chickens and found their behavior not just cute but fascinating. Each page is like a silent invite to ground yourself while reading about certain chicken behaviors and how they can be applied to human life. I often found myself laughing as it brought sweet memories to mind about these cute and peculiar creatures. I enjoyed this sweet, comforting read. Thank you to the author and NetGalley.

This would be a cool gift for a chicken enthusiast.

It’s got insights but they are from a chickens perspective and sorta converted to humanly advice and affirmations.

It’s def not something you could get just anyone but it’s perfect for chicken lovers.

The illustration in this book are absolutely beautiful!
I picked this book as someone who is struggling and it was just that little something I needed. There is a lot of insight into the life of chickens and it surprised me how much like us they are. Each page ended with a few words of wisdom taken from things the chickens do in their day to day life during different season.
This book bought a smile to my face more than I thought it would.
I would love to be able to give it 5 stars but I felt it was more about chickens than about self help and motivation that I thought it was going to be but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.