Review by Booklist Review
Schwartz's distinctive pictures in brilliant colors would make anyone happy. In this oversize picture book, she offers exhilarating activities in rhyme and joyful art. The active youngsters show 100 things that please them most: red socks and building blocks, flip-flops and lollipops, shiny slides and pony rides. Diverse children of all shapes and sizes interact with zestful enthusiasm, as they explore the joys of the little things in life, from mittens to kittens, snowflakes to chocolate cakes, chocolate chips to camping trips. Some ideas rhyme exactly, while some demand a little leap of imagination, as in garbagemen to a good friend. In one stunning full-page spread, an adult and a child roast marshmallows at a campfire under brilliant stars. In another, three little gourmands devour a whole apple pie each. A final peekaboo turns over to the last page's time with you, as two friends run through an erupting sprinkler in a comfortable and pleasing end to a magical romp through the senses and delights of being human.--Gepson, Lolly Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Starred Review. Move over, BuzzFeed, Schwartz (Dee Dee and Me) has come up with the ultimate list-and it rhymes: Red bow/ Tic-tac-toe/ Hula-hoops/ double scoops. It seems pretty effortless, especially given that most of the sources of happiness catalogued are pretty down to earth. But in fact, Schwartz employs some skillful anti-soppy strategies to ensure her book stays bright, breezy, and buoyant. Hairpin category turns-putting Something sweet (a trio of cupcakes) adjacent to a parakeet-create a sense of playful spontaneity. The tightly rendered illustrations, which usually appear in twos or three against white backgrounds, have a refreshing emotional reticence; the kids happiness is shown as matter-of-fact and grounded rather than euphoric or manic. And then there are the descriptions themselves, eloquent in their unfussiness: its enough to say Grandmas lap (the rhyme is completed with a gingersnap) and show an image of a child snuggled up and reading with this beloved adult-the author knows her audience can fill in the rest. Schwartz isnt the first to try a compendium of this sort, but she sets a new benchmark. Ages 3-6. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-PreS-What makes toddlers happy? Seeing themselves and those they love engaged in fun activities in the pages of a book. A rhyming text and bright artwork round out the appealing package. Whether it's "White snow/Cookie dough," "Grandma's lap/A gingersnap," or "Brother and Sis/Good-night kiss," this feel-good board book captures the high notes of a busy child's day. Well worth celebrating.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This cheery book is just as advertised: Schwartz presents, in lilting rhyme, one hundred happy-making things: "Baby toes / A puppy's nose / Sticky glue / The city zoo." Each vignette is illustrated with pictures of smiley kids of different ethnicities following their bliss; the clean white of the pages keeps things tidy. Some of the items are concrete and easily pictured ("Flip-flops / Lollipops") while others ("Saturday"; "Daydream") are more about capturing a feeling. Contented facial expressions and relaxed postures abound as children play, build, snuggle, and twirl. It's all very, very sweet, but with the occasional offbeat example ("Wind-Up Mouse"; "Garbagemen") that will satisfy out-of-the-box thinkers. Good for discussion-starting; pair it with Kipfer's 14,000 Things to Be Happy About. elissa gershowitz (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Lollipop colors and utterly cheery simplicity make for a rousing read-aloud chant. A multiethnic cast of small children and adults lists happy-making small joys in rhyme. It is near impossible not to find something readers will love, too, whether "red socks" and "building blocks" or "braids" and "parades." The pictures range from multiple small vignettes on a spread to full-page illustrations. One particularly striking composition places "city lights" across the gutter from "starry nights." In the first picture, a child tucked in bed looks out her window to a brightly lit nighttime cityscape; opposite, a parent and child toast marshmallows outside their tent on a hill under the stars. It's hard not to love "strawberry ice" and "pizza slice" or a grandfather and grandson pushing their "grocery carts" full of stuff (and those carts rhyme with "frosted hearts"). Fine line and strong color make each image a joy: There's lots of pattern and movement to every figure, therefore much to revel in visually. All 100 things are numbered and reproduced as a poster on the inside of the dust jacket, and the endpapers are striped in every color used. It is a book chock-full of funwhat more could one want? (Picture book. 3-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
