Article Link: http://www.exchangepress.com/article/reading-matters-celebrating-childrens-books-about-joy/5026171/
The bus ride to visit my grandmother when I was 5 and 6 years old took us past Freihofer’s Bakery in North Troy, New York, near the Hudson River. If the timing was right, the air would be filled with the incomparably wonderful smell of baking bread. Sixty-five years later that smell never fails to make me happy, to comfort me. It is the little things that matter. Often, the simplest things bring children joy—and adults, too! Here are some new books to share with young children that beautifully evoke simple joys.
How much does a smile cost? What is the price of joy? The little hero of The Smile Shop marches confidently into the marketplace with his savings, looking forward to buying something special for himself for the very first time. Will it be a tasty pie, or a suitable hat? An interesting book, or a beautiful little boat? When an accident sends his coins down the drain, he learns from a wise photographer that a smile might be the best purchase of all—and it can easily be exchanged.
The Smile Shop by Satoshi Kitamura (Peachtree, 2020) Ages 4–7.
Sunny is the ultimate optimist. Rainy days are happy days, when ...