By Marcus Pfister
I have a love-hate relationship with kites, so this book threw me off a little. But you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, right!? So I didn't! I shoved it in the bottom of my double stroller at the library, hoping to fall in love with it when I got home. And I did!
I am a big advocate of talking about feelings and I probably annoy my husband, family and friends to death but I'd rather be mindful of things and feelings than let them go un-noticed. It's especially important for children to feel comfortable speaking up about what makes them happy, sad, frustrated, scared, etc. I am always looking for books to aid in teachable moments.
Happiness is often a state that we don't discuss. We are usually drawn to talking about negative feelings like being scared, frustrated or sad. I love this book because it depicts two cute animal characters discussing what happiness is, "Happiness is the most important thing of all", one mouse says to the other. And she's right! It's proven that if a child/person/adult isn't happy, they can't learn new information. Isn't that crazy to think about!? Our brains need to be in a happy and in a safe state in order to learn new information and acquire new skills.
Back to the book, the two characters take turns listing what makes them happy. From sunbeams to jumping in puddles. Marcus Pfister gives great examples of how happiness can be the simplest of things. So start talking to your Little Busy Bees about what makes them happy and how to keep those feelings around during most of their day.
Make your list and tell me, what makes you happy?
Buy Happiness is...by clicking here
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