This book is an amazing read for any child. It covers fear in a good light and makes it easy to bring up that conversation with your child. It is an adorable book and I highly recommend!

This is the tale of a little girl who has a big fear of water. When Vicky was younger, she had a negative experience in the sea, which impacted on her desire to be anywhere near water from then on. She earns the name 'Sticky Icky Vicky,' because of her love of getting so involved in her games and play time, where she gets super grubby; her problem is that she doesn't want to wash afterwards.

Her mother tries to encourage her to have a bath, but to no avail, with Sticky Icky Vicky finding excuses why she can't possibly have a bath. The illustrations by Noor Alshalabi demonstrate well, the mess that this little girl gets herself into, without losing the fun that she has whilst doing it. The story goes on to explain exactly why Vicky is so afraid of the water, using beautiful pastel colours when showing scenes of the beach.

Sticky Icky Vicky experiences a pessimistic inner voice, Negative Ned, who prevents her from trying or enjoying new things, based on her past experiences. You could argue that this is the equivalent to the characters 'Disgust' or 'Fear' in Disney Pixar's 'Inside Out', who's job is to keep Riley safe, but in doing so, without the balance of Joy, prevents her from doing anything at all. Vicky watches her friends play in the water, and wants to join in, but Negative Ned convinces her that she is incapable of being in the water for fear of drowning. This causes upset and ultimately leads to her fears coming to a head, when she is invited to a birthday party at a waterpark.

Despite her inner voice's best efforts, Vicky decides that she's going to be brave and attend the party. Her dad reassures her that her friends will be there to support her too, but Vicky is anxious. With one last ditch attempt to put her off, Negative Ned appears once more, but this time, Vicky isn't listening. Once in the pool, Vicky's fears dissipate and she begins to enjoy being in the water.

Vicky has a new inner voice now, Positive Ted, This voice tells her that she can do things and that she is good enough. With this new positive self-talk, Vicky is icky and sticky no more. Alysia and Michael Ssentamu use rhyming sentences throughout, to tell children that if you believe in yourself, you can do anything. With sweet, simple pictures to accompany the story, and a message to 'BELIEVE IN YOURSELF,' the authors convey a wonderful, important subject.

At the end, there are some statements and questions about how to address worries and fears, to reiterate the message of the book, which is a nice addition to the book.

Sticky Icky Vicky is a very child-friendly take on inner-voice and the concept of fear! I especially liked the conversation tips for parents/educators at the end of the book! Wonderful illustrations throughout!

Vicky does not like water because of an accident when she was younger. this prevents her from bathing. All that changes when she wants to have fun with her friends. In some was this is relatable, but the way she handles her problem and gets over her fear is not believable.

What a lovely story, full of the most beautiful illustrations (gave me some Moana vibes with the colour scheme), and a positive message of choosing courage over fear.

This book is written by professionals, aimed at readers aged 6 to 10 years. It tells the story of Sticky Icky Vicky, who at the age of 3 had a mishap in the sea where a rogue wave caught her, sweep her to far out and although her dad managed to get to her, she has been left with a crippling fear of water. Through this fear, Vicky avoids water at whatever cost she can, showering only once a week. She really does loves getting messy and dirty, which is how she’s earned her ‘Sticky Icky’ nickname. As the story moves on, Vicky is invited to one of her best friends birthday party, which is a “water slide birthday splash”. Vicky desperately wants to go, and although her friends are very understanding of her fears, she decides enough is enough for it is time to face her fears once and for all. Which she does successfully and her mindset goes from negative feelings and fear to positive feelings and courage when facing difficult situations.

I think this child-friendly story perfectly portrays Vicky’s feelings of fear and anxiety, naming her inner voice Negative Ned whenever these feelings emerge. Going forward to bravely facing these fears and as she chooses courage over fear, it clearly shows how Negative Ned can transform into Positive Ted, who sticks around and helps support and encourage Vicky to cope from there on when she encounters difficult, challenging situations.

What a lovely, beautifully illustrated story that deserves a space on every child’s bookshelf!

| Thank you netgalley, the publisher and author for this e-ARC and giving me the opportunity to read and review the story. |

One of the best colourful storybook coming out this year, y'all!

This storybook encourages children to be curious and playful; to be courageous and and try out new things instead of being afraid.

Courage over fear. Always!

I appreciate the multicultural representation.

The art and the illustrations are quite suitable for the audience age group and it's quite easy to the eyes.

A good readalong with playful, cheerful characters this one is indeed a good one.

Thank you, authors and the publisher, for the advance reading copy.

This book was excellent! I loved the rhyming that was put throughout. I loved that the storyline was overcoming your fears. I think this book will be very helpful for young kids. The illustrations were also wonderful!