"You should smile more." "Look on the bright side!" "I just want you to be happy." The concept of "Happy" is complex and nuanced and can manifest in many different ways.
(The recipe, including a link to the index of printable PDF files, can be found at the bottom of this post.)
When I decided to share these Happy Smiles Cookies as an official #KidLitConfections recipe, I had a hard time deciding which book to share them with. So instead of choosing, I am going to share three wonderful books that I've recently read, each of which explores the concept of "Happy" in different ways. Because "Happy" is more than just putting on a smile or acting the part. And "Happy" is sometimes complicated and interwoven with Sad and Angry and a whole range of other emotions.
I hope these cookies can bring a smile to your life as you read these books full of hope in all of the different ways "Happy" can manifest.
Description from the Publisher:
From Schneider Family Book Award winner Alison Green Myers comes a heartwarming middle grade novel about loss, friendship, and the many paths we create to happiness.
Growing up at her grandparents' amusement park, Reilly Rhoades spent her life in the glow of bright lights, hard work, and sweet treats. That is until her beloved grandfather died. With Grandpa gone now, the sweetness of the park disappears, and the pride Reilly had for her family’s legacy grows bitter.
Without Grandpa, Reilly’s family fights to keep the park going—spreading happiness to others as they struggle to find it themselves. The strain causes one problem after another to erupt, until the Rhoades family, and their amusement park, comes apart at the seams.
As past traditions clash with today's realities, a new friendship splashes into Reilly’s universe. With epic advice, wild adventures, and a plan (or twenty) for tackling life’s twists and turns, Reilly Rhoades discovers that happiness doesn’t mean you have to choose between the past and the future—sometimes building a bridge connects all the best parts of you!
This Way to Happy is a rollercoaster ride that reminds readers even in the midst of life’s most challenging turns, happiness can be found just around the corner.
My Thoughts:
Reilly has grown up in her grandparents’ amusement park. Like, literally in the amusement park. Her family trailer (along with trailers for her grandparents and for her aunt and cousin), sits on the grounds of the park. And for as long as she can remember, Reilly has worked alongside her family. Helping her grandma make candy, apples, testing the rides before the park opens, and reminding park goers to “find your happy!” Because that’s the Rhoades Family Way. Three generations, working together to make dreams come true. But this summer, Grandpa isn’t here. He passed away while working on his newest big surprise for the park. And when Grandma has a heart attack on opening day, everything feels like it’s falling apart. How is Reilly supposed to help others “find their happy” when she’s pretty sure her own “happy” is disintegrating?
This is a sweet book about grief and family, and finding ways to move forward, even when everything around you is changing. The explorations of traditions versus innovations and finding your own path versus living up to others expectations are so relatable and relevant. Because traditions ARE important. And it’s good to keep tabs on your roots and always remember where you came from. But it’s also very important to not let the expectation of tradition and “that’s how it’s always been” to keep you from growing and finding your own “happy.”
The story is well written, and it will resonate with audiences dealing with grief, or change, or complicated family dynamics. (So… I guess that’s all of us at some point or another.) And it's a great reminder that "happy" isn't a flat dynamic, but an emotion in flux. And there are a lot of different ways to get there!
Description from the Publisher:
An illustrated picture book that teaches the best way to be happy is to embrace the circumstances we find ourselves in each day
Happy Right Now brings a much-needed message to kids: it’s great to feel happy, but it’s okay to feel sad sometimes too.
Dealing with emotions can be hard. Children experience the same range of strong feelings as adults, but often don’t have the tools to deal with them. For children ages 4 to 8, Happy Right Now teaches emotional intelligence with fun, relatable imagery and clever rhymes.
Award-winning author Julie Berry brings a playful bounce to the important lesson that kids don’t need to wait for fantastic gifts, school vacations, or sunny days to find joy in the moment. And even if they can’t find a way to choose happiness—if the blues are just too strong—Berry provides a series of quick practices to help young readers move through their sadness.
Smartly illustrated by Holly Hatam, Happy Right Now is perfect for children, parents, and caregivers who want to learn how to navigate difficult emotions and embrace the bright side of any situation, rain or shine.
My Thoughts:
I'll be happy when I have... a castle and a friendly dragon. Or I can be happy right now!
This book follows our main character through a whole host of "what ifs?" and wishes and "I'll be happy when..." moments. And we get to experience the acceptance and acknowledgment that you don't need to wait for the perfect moment when you have everything you might desire. You can choose to be happy, even when you're right in the middle of the sad or difficult times. It's a lesson that can be extremely difficult to learn, but it's so important to realize that waiting for that magical moment of perfection before allowing yourself to be happy just means you'll be consistently disappointed. We don't need to wait!
However, I am glad that this book also explores those moments when choosing to be happy isn't enough. Because you don't always get to choose. The reality is that there will likely be sad days when happy just isn't quite there for you. Everyone experiences these moments sometimes. And some people need extra help getting through those moments.
That's OK!
If you keep going, eventually you'll get to the other side. Whether you can find it on your own or whether you need professional help to get there, you can find the happy again.
The Book:
Description from the Publisher:
In the vein of Grumpy Monkey and Unicorns Are the Worst!, this hilarious picture book introduces the adorable quokka, who—despite his ever-present smile—is definitely not as happy as he looks!
With its bright eyes, puffy cheeks, and beaming smile, the quokka is clearly the happiest animal on earth. Or is it? This quokka is here to tell you…he is not happy! At least not all the time. Just like everyone else, he can be sulky, or sorry, or sad; but you’d never know from the look on his face! So, what’s a moody marsupial to do when he’s being misunderstood? Teach every other animal from kangaroos to koalas not to judge a critter by its cover!
My Thoughts:
I love this story of a super-adorable quokka, who may LOOK happy, but looks can be deceiving!
There are lots of stories about folks who have resting grump face, but what if you have resting happy face? What if everyone thinks they don't have to take your feelings into consideration because you're always happy about everything? As an autistic woman who has felt the need to mask my feelings/reactions my whole life, I felt for this poor quokka! Also... it's just really fun to read! I'll definitely be looking for more books by this author.
And the illustrations are absolutely adorable as well. I'll be watching for other books illustrated by Sydney Hanson.
The Recipe:
These cookies, with their potato starch base, are inspired in part by the
Smiles potatoes that my kids and their friends used to love when they were little. (But don't expect them to be savory potato puffs. They're sweet and fluffy, and they don't taste like potatoes, although the potato starch makes them extra-soft.)
The challenge to turn those potato puffs into a potato-based Smile cookie came from my friend, Robin Palmer, when she was serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Robin has one of the most contagious smiles you have ever seen (a human version of the ever-smiling quokka!), and she's quick to find things to be happy about, even when things are tough. So when she joked about making me find a way to turn the smiley potato puffs she remembered into a delicious cookie, I had to accept the challenge. And pairing the resulting recipe with equally-delicious books was a fun way to connect with all of the different parts of her smiley (but not always strictly "happy") disposition!
2 c butter
2 1/2 c powdered sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 c potato starch
3 c GF AP flour
Cream together, butter and sugar.
Add eggs, salt, baking powder, vanilla, and potato starch.
Mix together on low speed, just until combined, then increase to high speed and
beat until light and fluffy. (Approximately 3-5 minutes.) Stir in flour. Chill 1 hour.
Scoop into 1-inch balls. (Optional: roll in a mixture of ½ c.
powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder)
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, press each cookie ball
with the bottom of a drinking glass. Flatten to ¼-inch thick. Space the cookies
1-2 inches apart after pressing them flat. Chill again for 1 hour.
Using a piece of a drinking straw, cut out 2 circles for
eyes on each cookie. Use the curved edge of a small spoon to create a smile on
each. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-9 minutes, until the cookies are set
but still soft.
*Optional: Bake a few cookies, then freeze some, unbaked, for future
cookie emergencies! Prepare dough as if you were prepping to bake the cookies
(portion, press flat, and cut out the eyes and smile on each). Then place on a parchment-lined
baking sheet (no need to keep space between them this time), and freeze 2-4
hours or overnight. Once frozen, transfer cookie dough to a large freezer bag
and return to your freezer. You can bake straight from frozen at 350 degrees
Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes. Fresh-baked cookie smiles anytime!
This recipe, originally created for Robyn Palmer, pairs well with THIS WAY TO HAPPY by Alison Green Myers, HAPPY RIGHT NOW by Julie Berry and Holly Hatam, and I AM NOT HAPPY by Caroline L. Perry and Sydney Hanson.
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