The husband and wife authors released their second children’s book ‘Hattie Harmony: Opening Night’
PEOPLE/a> Avengers actress Elizabeth Olsen and her musician husband of three years, Robbie Arnett, are hoping to teach kids how to manage anxiety.
The couple’s new children’s book, Hattie Harmony: Opening Night (following their first best-seller Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective) offers young readers tools to use such as journaling, time-outs and self-reflection. Both books are illustrated by Marissa Valdez.
“Lizzie and I went on a walk and were brainstorming and came up with this Hattie Harmony character,” Arnett, 31, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “We both wanted a Hattie when we were younger.”
As for their own personal experiences with anxiety, Olsen, 34, says hers first surfaced in her early 20s. “I had panic attacks when I was 22, and I absolutely thought something was medically wrong with me,” she explains. “They’re pretty terrifying when they happen. I learned games to play in order to keep myself present and not spin. I’ve also done yoga since I was 17. Luckily I felt like I had tools.”
Arnett admits he grew up “a very anxious kid, and my family moved around a lot,” he says. “I never really felt rooted anywhere, and I had all sorts of fears. It’s been helpful developing Hattie and really sitting with it and thinking about the kid in me.”
Working together has come easy for the pair. “It’s so funny because I had this instinct where I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know, how are we going to do this?’ But honestly, our whole relationship is built on communication,” Olsen says. “Obviously you’d hope that most relationships are, but it’s very easy and enjoyable for us to problem solve.”
hattie harmony book
Arnett “is a very imaginative and creative person,” the actress continues. “And I obviously have a creative career, but I really love type A puzzle piece solving. So while he comes up with lots of ideas, I tend to be the one to figure out how do we structure format. How do we turn this into language that we can learn from a child’s behavioral psychologist? How can we use that language and still make it fun? That’s kind of how we balance.”
“Every writer needs a good editor,” adds Arnett. “I feel like that has been the yin and yang of our journey.”
Hattie Harmony: Opening Night is on bookshelves now.
Elizabeth Olsen Is ‘Grateful’ for Husband Robbie Arnett’s Humor: ‘Makes Me Laugh Every Day’ (Exclusive)
The husband and wife authors released their second children’s book ‘Hattie Harmony: Opening Night’
PEOPLE/a> Unlike some couples, Avengers actress Elizabeth Olsen and her musician husband Robbie Arnett don’t shy away from working together.
Their new children’s book, Hattie Harmony: Opening Night (following their first best-seller Hattie Harmony: Worry Detective) offers young readers tools to manage anxiety such as journaling, time-outs and self-reflection. Both books are illustrated by Marissa Valdez.
“It’s so funny because I had this instinct where I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know, how are we going to do this?’ But honestly, our whole relationship is built on communication,” Olsen, 34, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “Obviously you’d hope that most relationships are, but it’s very easy and enjoyable for us to problem solve.”
When they aren’t working, a perfect day off for the couple entails the simple things. “Coffee, walking in the garden, journaling and then gardening,” says Olsen. “And going to the grocery store and figuring out what to make for an early dinner. Reading in the afternoon, making a cocktail and cooking. That’s my favorite, favorite day.”
How Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett’s Experiences with Anxiety Inspired Their Kids’ Book (Exclusive)
For Arnett, 31, it’s “coffee, and then I’ll go write. And then hopefully we’ll watch a really great movie,” he says. “And then [go to] bed early and do it again. Real exciting stuff.”
Married for three years, the two have found a rhythm in their life. “We can talk about anything, and it’s very, very comforting to kind of tackle anything together,” says Arnett.
Olsen insists she’s “most grateful for his humor. He makes me laugh every day, easily before noon.”
“Yeah, that was my goal setting out, to figure out how to make her laugh once a day,” adds Arnett. “And I haven’t had to do it intentionally. I can’t tell if that’s a bad thing or a good thing.”
Hattie Harmony: Opening Night is on bookshelves now.
