My Heart Fills With Happiness - Hardcover

Gray Smith, Monique

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1459809572 ISBN 13: 9781459809574

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers, 2016

Synopsis

★ "A quiet loveliness, sense of gratitude, and―yes―happiness emanate from this tender celebration of simple pleasures."―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Will leave the youngest readers gladly imagining what fills their own hearts with joy.”―The New York Times

The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy.

International speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote My Heart Fills with Happiness to support the wellness of Indigenous children and families, and to encourage young children to reflect on what makes them happy.

Available in French as J'ai le cœur rempli de bonheur and in Spanish as Mi corazón se llena de alegría.

About this title

About the Author

Monique Gray Smith is an award-winning, bestselling author and public speaker. Her books cover a broad spectrum of ages, topics and emotions. Woven into all of Monique’s writing and her speaking engagements is the teaching that Love is Medicine. Her books include Speaking our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation, My Heart Fills With Happiness, You Hold Me Up, Lucy and Lola, Tilly: A Story of Hope and Resilience, Tilly and the Crazy Eights, When We Are Kind, I Hope, Dreaming Alongside and Kohkom's First Drum. She has also created the young adult adaptation of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Monique is Cree and Scottish. She lives with her family on the Traditional Territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən and WSÁNEĆ Peoples.

From the Back Cover

What fills YOUR heart with happiness?

Reviews

Toddler-PreS-Joyful and tender, this board book celebrates the activities that bring gladness through family and cultural connections. On one spread, three children wait in front of the oven in a modern kitchen ("My heart fills with happiness when…I smell bannock baking in the oven."). The patterns on their clothing are echoed in the kitchen textiles, creating a sense of belonging and completeness. Flett's quietly powerful gouache and digital collage illustrations emphasize the relationships between people through small gestures and touches; the bold colors and simplified compositions increase the impact by stripping away all that is unnecessary. Other things that bring happiness include holding hands, seeing the face of a loved one, singing, drumming, feeling the sun's rays, and listening to stories. All the people appear to be indigenous, although specific groups are not mentioned. The book is dedicated to "former Indian Residential School students and their families." The author and illustrator are strongly connected to their Canadian Aboriginal communities, and the sweet family story has universal appeal. VERDICT A first purchase for all libraries.-Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MNα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1459809572
• ISBN 13: 9781459809574
• Binding: Board book
• Illustrator: Flett Julie
• Number of pages: 24