Buu & The Hugwaves

By James Hartshorn and Yulia Hartshorn

Buu and the Hugwaves is a gentle, emotionally grounded picture book designed to support co-regulation, not correction. Perfect for emotionally sensitive or neurodivergent children, it offers a safe space to feel sadness - and to be met with presence, not pressure.

When a child feels something too big to name, Buu can sense it - even from the quiet side of the stars. With his glowing antennae tuned to sadness, he boards his little rocket and travels to Earth, not to fix anything - but to sit close, stay quiet, and help the feeling pass through.

As Buu listens, his antennae glow brighter. The sadness becomes a Hugwave - a signal sent back to Planet Buu, where Grumm, a large, kind protector, receives and gently crushes the wave, so it never comes back.

Written in calming rhyme with rich, painterly illustrations, this story models emotional safety, self-awareness, and quiet connection. It includes built-in prompts to help parents, teachers, or therapists connect with children who struggle to talk - without asking too much or saying too little.

Created by parents with qualifications in child psychology and development, Buu and the Hugwaves is more than a story. It's a story-world tool for building emotional safety - one soft, quiet page at a time.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1068478403
• ISBN13: 9781068478406
• Release Date: May 2025
• Publisher: Planet Buu Press
• Length: 38 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 11.0" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 3 to 7 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 2