Smile your way to happy by Bernie Hayne. Illus. by Valery Vell

This brightly coloured picture book is a joyful celebration of the superpower of a smile. With creative rhyming text and diverse character representation, this is a book that will bring a smile to those reading and listening to the story. Sometimes it is hard to find something to smile about, but the happy and positive verse cleverly provides simple strategies to support children to find a way to smile again.

It’s easy when you’re feeling great,
But if you are a little blue…
just remember, big or small,
what a simple smile can do.

When you are feeling down,
just smile as big as you can.
You can turn your mood around,
and feel better all over again.

With an engaging quokka on every page smiling his way through different situations, this would be a lovely book to share with young children who may be finding things challenging or just need a delightful story to brighten their day.

Themes: Children, Feelings, Diversity, Smiles.

Kathryn Beilby