A Very Emotional Story!
Author: Andy Rash
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (February 19, 2019)
- Pages: 40
- Ages: 3 – 7
This colorful book begins with The Happy Book, bright yellow pages, a happy camper wearing a scout uniform, and a clam.
Welcome to the Happy Book!
I’m one happy Camper!
But this happy guy soon disappoints his best friend, Clam, by thoughtlessly eating the whole friendship cake that Clam prepared. Oops! One of these characters has caused the happy feeling that they’ve shared to change.
Wait You ate the whole cake?
Scout confirms this and with a little smile and a thank you, he hops on his bike and takes off. He’s happy and completely oblivious to the fact that his best friend has disappeared.
Eventually, Camper discovers a door that opens into The Sad Book, blue pages. And who should be there but Clam?
Oh, hi, Camper. This is where I go when I’m not feeling happy. Meet my friend Trombone.
The sad, wide-eyed, trombone replies,
Bwah-bwah.
Rash presents wonderful thoughts on many of our emotions as the characters go in and out of various doors. Camper wanting to make Clam happy adds a basket to his bike for Clam to ride in. However, Camper grows impatient and angry when Clam can’t move immediately back to the happy pages. What does Camper do, but exit The Sad Book and enter The Angry Book.
Moving from happiness to sadness and everything in between, Camper and Clam have a hard time finding their way back to happy. But maybe happy isn’t the goal–being a good friend is about supporting each other and feeling all the feels together.
My Thoughts
What Concerned Me:Â Nothing
What I Liked Most:Â Â Though there are many books regarding emotions, I love that this one is handled in such a fun yet thoughtful manner. It doesn’t become too didactic, and the lessons are subtle and offer plenty of room for discussions.Â
There are some really good points made throughout this book. ” . . . maybe happy isn’t the goal–but being a good friend is about supporting each other and feeling all the feels together.”
It gets an easy thumbs-up from me!
Rash has created books with fantastic publishers including Scholastic, Chronicle, Penguin, Bloomsbury, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. His editorial illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, Wired, The New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly, and many other national publications. His low-res iotacons have adorned books, magazines, records, quilts, restaurant bathrooms, and even the side of an east London car park, courtesy of the street artist Space Invader. Recently, he’s been creating animations for Nickelodeon, Penguin, and other clients. Look for his work in national competitions including American Illustration, Communication Arts, and The Society of Illustrators. He teaches illustration at The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
