Dani’s been trying her best to stay happy ever since her best friend Ella moved away. But when some girls in Dani’s class start being cruel to her, it starts a chain of rather unhappy events…It would all be okay if only Ella would move back.
I’m liking
My daughter is 5.5 and she’s just getting into books with a bit more complexity. Increasingly, she doesn’t need pictures to make meaning and enjoys longer stories with more detail. She absolutely *loved* Lagercrantz and Eriksson’s first book – My Happy Life and was super-excited to receive the sequel. Although this book follows on from My Happy Life, it also stands alone and you wouldn’t need to have read My Happy Life in order to appreciate My Heart is Laughing.
Like My Happy Life, My Heart is Laughing deals with the complex issues that children face. In this case, it’s bullying and friendships. Dani’s best friend Ella has moved away and she misses her terribly. Added to this, two of the girls in Dani’s class are bullying her. It’s not heavy handed and moralistic, though and Lagercrantz has the lightest of touches with her message.
The story is enhanced with Eriksson’s delightful sketches. Like the story, they’re subtle and understated but they also add plenty. I love the subtlety of the writing and the fact that everything isn’t spelt out.
Things that made me go hmmmm
It’s not a negative as such, but this book is more complex than My Happy Life and deals with issues of friendship, bullying and relationships. We did have to talk through some of the story with our 5.5 year old.
The conclusion
Another delightful book from Gecko Press. It’s full of nuance and subtlety and there’s plenty to talk about with your child. This book is perfect as a first ‘chapter’ book for early readers and was a lovely reading book for my daughter.
