The Happiest Book Ever

by Bob Shea, Bob Shea (Illustrator)

Overview

This highly interactive read-aloud for fans of The Book with No Pictures and other books that break the fourth wall is "wacky, zany, and downright fun." — Kirkus Reviews

What could be happier than a book with a dancing cake, a candy parade, and a hug monster? A book with all those things (and more) plus YOU! Your happy, happy thoughts will make this book super happy happy! But something seems off. Could it be that frowny frog? Perhaps we could shake some sense into him, or slap a Post-it over his face. No? Well then, maybe its time for that frog to SCRAM! Hooray! He's gone! Time for a happy dance! Wait, what's wrong? Now NO ONE seems happy! Let's see if we can't do something to truly make this the happiest book ever.
 
In his most interactive book yet, Bob Shea proves that happiness is more than just a piece of chocolate cake. (Though that comes pretty close!)

Don't miss The Scariest Book Ever, also by Bob Shea!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781484730454
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/11/2016
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	687,459
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bob Shea has written many popular books for children, including Chez Bob, Who Wet My Pants?, Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great and the Dinosaur vs. … series. He lives in Madison, Connecticut and he invites you to visit his website at bobshea.com.

Editorial Reviews

…one of those works a grown-up must understand before diving into; it's imperative to nail the narrator's hectoring tone, to make the kid you're reading to understand that call and response is in order. If you perfect your delivery, it's a book that will be a big hit.

The New York Times Book Review - Rumaan Alam

08/08/2016
Happiness can be a cudgel: that’s the gist of this funny, original, and astute meta-story. The narrator is a relentlessly cheerful face who personifies the book itself and conscripts readers into helping create the “Happiest Book Ever.” The one obstacle is lumpy, unexpressive Frog, the only photographic image in the book. As the increasingly agitated face adds more and more digitally drawn whimsy to the pages (“Sunspot naptime kittens!” “A whale with good news!”) Frog’s imperturbability becomes an affront—an amphibian Bartleby the Scrivener. Ugly with rage, the face expunges Frog from the page, leaving a glaring white silhouette with an eerie, crime-scene vibe. None of the happy inhabitants is pleased about this turn of events (even the kittens are offended), and the disembodied face proves capable of growth: “Being mean is not happy.... Frog was just being frog.” A heartfelt apology brings Frog back, and Shea (the Ballet Cat series) leaves readers feeling a little better about protecting their individuality—and perhaps less inclined to steamroll others in the future. Ages 6–8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Fun for one-on-one sharing or a riotous time with a larger group, especially where other interactive titles are popular."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

08/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—In a quest to be the happiest book ever, this interactive story has lined up lots of help. Dancing cake? Check. A candy parade and a flying lion? Yup. Now readers supply happy thoughts. All is well, except for the frowny frog. The book is super-duper happy, except for the frog, whose dour expression never changes. Entice a smile from him with a frog-centric riddle provided at the back of the book? (What's giant and green and hops around Tokyo? Frogzilla!) Nope, not even that groaner warrants a grin. Maybe we can just cover the frog with a Post-it note? No way, the sticky-tongued fellow makes fast work of that. The only solution is to kick the frog out of the book entirely. Now everybody's happy, right? Well, no, not exactly. Chasing Frog out of the book is just mean, and "being mean is not happy." In a forgiving mood, Frog comes back to the book and is given a balloon to make him content. Book, Frog, and readers have successfully made the happiest book ever! The volume is chock-full of colorfully wacky, doodlelike illustrations that employ a palette of yellow, orange, and bright blue. The book's "face" is surprisingly expressive, using only a few lines and shapes. VERDICT Fun for one-on-one sharing or a riotous time with a larger group, especially where other interactive titles are popular.—Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2016-07-26
Wanting to become the “happiest book ever,” a personified book enlists its friends’ help—but things go awry when a “frowny frog” doesn’t fit in, hilariously teaching the book (and readers) kindness and acceptance. A benign happy face enthusiastically greets readers and asks them to help. With each spread, the cheery mood becomes more pronounced, the face more exuberant, and the author’s signature humor more in evidence. Cheerful, appealing characters blossom, cute and full of whimsy, many with labels that emphasize their silliness or absurdity. These minimalist images are perfectly juxtaposed to a photo of a dour-looking frog, whose seriousness pervades the book. Soon the once-upbeat face reveals an accusatory, even aggressive side, proving the ends don’t justify the means. But through its friends’ guidance, the book learns tolerance and understanding, allowing for true happiness and cheer. Shea masterfully uses a simple format to introduce a complicated idea: how to illustrate the subconscious thinking of a fictional character. On the right page is the face and its verbal self, represented by the text. On the left is the visual manifestation of its thoughts (with some spillover to the right). There are levels of sophistication to this well-designed artwork done in a primary four-color palette with white accents. The interactive components will have readers shaking and flipping—and most of all laughing—their ways through its pages. A wonderful rethinking of the picture book as its own character. Wacky, zany, and downright fun. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Review