The Kingdom of Hullabaloo - A World of Mindfulness.
After 16 magical years of storytelling…
myself and Noleen (both fully qualified educators) were delighted to get the opportunity to publish our first book and range of Teacher support materials.
The Kingdom of Hullabaloo has been designed to promote mental and physical well-being in small children.
It is a safe place in which we can all imagine, inspire and create. As we journey throughout the kingdom on our many adventures with Mr Hullabaloo, we will meet lots of fun friendly characters as we visit many exciting places.
Whilst we will not meet all of our friends or visit every location in each book, we feel it is important to set the world of Mr Hullabaloo into context. Over time you can build up your resources to discover new areas of the Kingdom to explore.
Included in our Mr Hullabaloo and Jingles Educational resource pack is a Map of the Kingdom of Hullabaloo. On the map you will discover following locations.
Mr Hullabaloo’s Cottage :
Mr Hullabaloo’s Cottage acts as the gateway to adventure.
Mr Hullabaloo is a magical storyteller. He encourages us to be creative and represents the powers of imagination! His home is located near a wishing well which reminds us to never lose sight of our hopes and dreams.
Storybook Castle :
At the heart of the Kingdom is Storybook Castle where Sir Dream-a-Lot, the wise and magical Wizard, encourages us to use our senses to absorb the world around us, to appreciate the sights, sounds and smells in our environment and be aware of the beauty that nature offers us. Taking time in the great outdoors has a powerful mindful impact on our feelings and mood. It enhances our calmness, happiness, optimism and ability to think creatively.
Sir Dream-a-Lot with his magical paintbrush wand directs our attention to the wonders of the natural world. We need only to stop and enjoy the seven beautiful colours of the rainbow as they appear in the sky above us giving us time to enjoy them before they disappear. From his Tower of Dreams with its rainbow staircase, Sir Dream-a-Lot tells us to take that time to see the magic of nature at work. As he describes it, we all experience 'The Rainbow of Emotions' but, our oneness with the world around us helps us to take time to deal with these feelings.
Take time to stand still and take in the sights, sounds and smells around you.
As Sir Dream-a-Lot tells Mr Hullabaloo, 'use your sight, your sound, your smell, your sense of taste and touch as well..' It was indeed his sense of smell that took him to Dotty’s Kitchen.
Dotty’s Kitchen:
In the Castle Kitchen we meet Dotty the Cook and Sprinkles the Mouse, her little chef helper. Dotty reminds us that eating well and self care are the fundamental building blocks for boosting our overall good health. A healthy diet with daily physical movement helps regulate our mood and emotions and keeps us strong in mind and body.
Sprinkles the mouse reminds us that time with our friends and family sharing fun activities together is wonderful for tackling anxiety. Cooking in the kitchen with his best friend, Dotty helps this little mouse to feel 'ten feet tall.'
As Dotty says, 'Time spent together is life's sweetest pleasure!'
Another special place where time is spent together in Storybook Castle is Cosy Corner.
Cosy Corner:
In Storybook Castle, Cosy Corner is a quiet little nook where Jingles can take time with his little friend, Bobbin the bear, to enjoy a story read by his friend, Mr Hullabaloo. Having a calm, quiet space to relax and settle down in, allows us some 'me time' and room to think.
Taking time to discover and enjoy the things we like to do is very beneficial in promoting good mental health and well-being.
Hobbies are an essential outlet for creative thought and a means of boosting self-worth and pride in our capabilities. These activities help us to relax, enjoy the moment and engage our thought and focus on a task that makes us feel good.
Mr Hullabaloo loves to read stories, Jingles likes to play games, Dotty and Sprinkles love to cook, Sir Dream-a-Lot loves to paint and Bobbin Bear likes exploring the great outdoors.
Bobbin and his cousin, who live in various locations around the world, all have individual hobbies and likes that each help to release feel good hormones and promote self-appreciation. Taking time out to enjoy them promotes a positive mindset. In the Kingdom of Hullabaloo, we call this a time to 'Paws for Thought.'
In this fast paced world where social media can swallow time and attention, Cosy Corner is a safe, relaxed environment where a story can be shared with our friends allowing our imagination to run freely.
Feeling safe and secure keeps us calm. The comfort of a hug at bed time from a favourite teddy like Bobbin can promote good sleep which in turn has a balancing effect on our emotions.
Fairytale Farm:
Getting out into the open air, in to the garden, the park or an outdoor play area is the best way of boosting our feel good hormones.
Enjoying time outside in nature has lots of positive effects on our mental health. Down on Fairytale Farm, Cousin Wendell encourages us to connect with the outside world. Enjoy being with the animals, helping to care for the new arrivals, getting your hands or paws dirty and working up a healthy appetite, all while benefiting from the good fresh air.
Cousin Wendell tells us to get moving in order to stay fit and healthy. He promotes good wholesome, hearty home grown food for a healthy body and the great outdoors for a healthy mind. Spending time in nature has a powerful impact on our quality of sleep and our subsequent feelings and moods.
Beyond the farm, he encourages us to explore the Woodberry Forest with 'The Little Ramblers Club.' Where Bobbin`s cousins come to join him in the Kingdom. Wendell heads the club In Camp Critter. It is a place for little friends to play, learn and grow together.
The Little Ramblers Club:
Exploring The World Beyond!
The Little Ramblers Club provides a gateway to explore the world beyond. The motto of The Little Ramblers club says it all:
'A Rambler is a friend to all, We care for critters big and small!'
Being with our friends, understanding each other, appreciating our shared experiences and offering support through life's hurdles helps to promote feelings of security through the knowledge that 'we are in this together!'
Bobbin the Bear and his Cousins from around the world, Nico from South America, Bindi from India, Koey from Australia, Pierre from France, Ola from the Cold Lands and Ping from China join with Jingles, Troubleena and Snarly the Dragon together explore the world beyond their own environment. The Little Ramblers go on many outdoor adventures under the guiding hand of Cousin Wendell.
Working together as a team to achieve a united goal, accepting each other’s strengths and weaknesses, helping and being supportive of others, all helps to boost our mental and physical strength to 'get a job done' when we work as one.
With Bobbin`s Cousins we also get to travel beyond the Kingdom and visit their home country to explore and learn more about their way of life. This travel is possible upon the Rainbow Rocket at Storybook Castle where Sir Dream-a-Lot broadens our horizons and develops our appreciation of the colourful world we live in.
Gaining an appreciation for self and others and building an understanding of different cultures, beliefs and traditions broadens our minds and opens our eyes to the wider world. Expanding our minds helps us to see the bigger picture, a helpful coping mechanism in times of heightened anxiety.
Each of Bobbin's cousins shares with us their particular 'mindful' strength for example, Bindi tells us to practice slow, deep breathing and stillness in achieving calmness.
This technique brings us finally, and appropriately, to the area of the Kingdom known as Hideaway Hollow.
Hideaway Hollow:
As the name suggests, this is a place to 'hide away.' In the Kingdom of Hullabaloo there lives a little witch called Troubleena with her black cat, Mischief.
The clue to her character is again in her name. 'Trouble' seems to follow this little witch everywhere she goes and Mischief is never far behind.
Also, beyond Hideaway Hollow, in the far off caves, there lives (and hides) a shy, quiet, fearful character known as Snarly the dragon who struggles with controlling his anxieties.
Snarly encourages us to be mindful of our own and others insecurities and to always remember to reach out for a helping hand whenever it is needed.
Troubleena is the antithesis of all that promotes good mental health and well being. She refuses to eat healthily choosing only sweet options, she roams around the Castle gardens at night time when she should be in bed, she does not care for her own or others belongings, she does not exercise good self hygiene practices, she won't join in with fun activities and she can be unappreciative of others feelings, particularly in her treatment of Snarly the Dragon, whom Troubleena takes great delight in scaring.
As expected her lack of compliance with good 'well being' practices is reflected in her emotions, moods and general behaviour. She stamps her feet, doesn't listen, can be very rude: blows raspberries, wiggles her bum, sulks when she doesn't get her own way and flies off on her broomstick or stomps off to her tumble down cottage to hide away from others.
Everyone in the Kingdom however, appreciates that she, like Snarly, needs a little more 'me time' than everyone else and accept that her character is one to be worked on. Her love of all things yucky, gooey, sticky and unclean are nonetheless a hobby she enjoys, a positive step in the 'mindful' path.
Despite her reluctance though, she is always welcomed throughout the Kingdom to 'come along and join the fun!' wherever it may be, at Storybook Castle : (In The Tower of Dreams, The Castle Kitchen or Cosy Corner) Fairytale Farm or The World Beyond with The Little Ramblers in their pursuit of good mental health and well being.