I am happy!

PreS--Rosen has once again teamed up with Starling to continue their picture book series (I Am) with this new entry. A gently anthropomorphized brown dog can't contain its happiness and moves through the pages collecting friends, including a familiar hungry squirrel, demonstrating different activities they can do when they are happy. The text is brief, primed for reading aloud to toddler audiences, and the typography frequently mirrors the animals' movements. Starling uses bold, flat areas of color with single-tone, rough shading and minimal line work to create the happy critters. Chalklike textures on solid color backgrounds depict a variety of settings. The narrative ends abruptly, even considering the slight text; adults will want to prepare for that change in cadence when reading aloud. Ultimately, this is a bright romp, but it doesn't stand out from similar titles. VERDICT Best for large collections and libraries looking for toddler story hour reads.--Taylor Worley

This is one overjoyed puppy! "I am happy," declares the pup. "I'm SO happy I…sing on a swing, swing as I sing, head in the sky, like a butterfly." The pup chases after bubbles, dances, does somersaults, and walks on clouds! Our furry protagonist grabs the paw of a kitty, whom readers may remember from Rosen and Starling's I Am Angry (2022). They're both joined by a squirrel from the creators' I Am Hungry (2023), and they "walk on air, wind in [their] hair." These pals do many outlandish things, from rolling down mountains and dancing in fountains to racing cars "all the way to the stars" and putting on elaborate talent shows. That's how happy this puppy is! The friends are happy enough to play all day. Rosen follows his previous explorations of strong emotions aimed at the very young with a strong depiction of joy that the youngest listeners will understand and identify with. Starling's mixed-media illustrations of wide-eyed animals exhibiting emotions and using their imaginations are once again an excellent fit with the simple text, written in a bouncy, exuberant verse. As in previous installments, Rosen's note to adults encourages them to learn and play with youngsters as they read the book with their grown-ups. A happy hound's verse, sure to inspire smiles. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.