Every now and again kids can feel a bit down in the dumps. Charlotte often has a particular expression she wears when she's got the blues and not even a cuddle from Mummy or Daddy can help her out of the doldrums.
In "The Jar of Happiness" by Ailsa Burrows, an effervescent little girl comes up with an astonishing plan. She will take all the ingredients to make happiness, mix them, carefully measure them out and put them in a jar, carrying happiness around with her. What's more, she'll also use her jar of happiness to make others happy - her friends, her Grandma, even her rather annoying bratty brother.
But there's a calamity on the horizon. One day the little girl wakes up to find that her jar of happiness is nowhere to be seen. She looks everywhere but can't find it, and is beside herself because how can she be happy without her jar?
Maybe her friend, her grandma, and yes even her little brother can help!
This is a delightful and whimsical little story. We loved the idea of being able to capture a happy moment in a jar - Charlotte said that she might swap her 'worry box' for this idea (she has a little box which she writes down all her worries and woes for those moments when she's a little sad or anxious).
Certainly if a jar of happiness won't cheer you up a bit, then this fabulous little book certainly will!
Charlotte's favourite bit: Slight puzzlement over why the little girl thought the cat might be hiding the jar in a rather - ahem - unusual place!
Daddy's favourite bit: We love the positive message this book relays, and the rather lovely turn of events when the girl realises that she doesn't always need a jar of happiness to be happy (and I think it's fair to say that her cat rather steals the show in several places in this story!)
(Kindly sent to us for review by Child's Play)
"The Jar of Happiness"
Written and Illustrated by Ailsa Burrows
Published by Child's Play Publishing
Publication Date: 7th September 2015