Andrew Daddo (text) and Stephen Michael King (illustrator), Grandma’s Guide to Happiness, HarperCollins Publishers, March 2023, 24 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780733341304
Stephen Michael King’s illustrations are always charming, and together with Andrew Daddo’s delightful ruminations on what Grandma says about happiness, this book is pure joy.
This is a lovely exploration of what happiness can feel like, and where it can be found, as Grandma and her grandchild spend time together. Grandma finds happiness in puddles and fairy gardens and simple little moments, and in the end it doesn’t matter what they’re doing – Whatever we do together, my grandma’s just happy.
Stephen Michael King is the perfect artist for a book about happiness. His illustrations always radiate a gladness and energy, and this is no exception. There are beautiful little details on every page to look for and keep repeat reads of this book fresh, and Andrew Daddo’s text is perfectly pitched for a young audience of 3 to 6 years old. The words roll nicely, with a conversational tone, when they’re read out loud.
This book would make a great talking point, too, for what makes the young readers happy. Grandma’s Guide to Happiness is going to be a lovely book for grandparents in particular to give to, and read with, the little ones in their lives. Snuggling on a couch with this book is sure to make young and older readers alike very happy indeed.
Reviewed by Emily Clarke
