It is a nice, gentle story. I liked how the main character tried different ways to make herself happy. It reminds me of the book “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?”, taking the positive moral and writing a story to go along with it. The format of the pages seem like the papers given to young children at school where they have to write a few sentences of a story and draw a picture at the top. The pictures also seemed like they were done by a student. If the pictures were done by a student, I am impressed. I have read some published works that were written and compiled by older elementary or junior high students that have the same feel and style to them. The colors and shading are pretty. Some information about the author and illustrator at the end of the book would have been helpful to write this review.

I was particularly interested in this title when I saw the illustrator has aspirations for art therapy, and found myself intrigued by the uses of color throughout the story. Rebecca looks for happiness through the typical methods we are enculturated to try: consumerism, hedonism, and success. However, she eventually discovers that rooting her identity in her work will not lead to happiness, but that selflessness might be the key. The ending felt a bit abrupt; I found myself wanting an illustration of the girls as adults.

This book is a cute and meaningful story with simple but beautiful illustrations. The lesson is one that is important for all children to hear. The knowledge that each of us is empowered to find our own happiness through service to and love of others is a great thing for all ages to take from this book.

This is an important little children’s book about finding happiness. Rebecca could not find happiness in anything she tried until she met Tara and observed how happy she was. Rebecca then thought about why Tara was happy, and even asked Tara about it. Rebecca tried a few of those things and noticed how making others happier by sharing and helping out would also make her happier. I think children and parents will benefit from reading this book and discussing it. Beautiful illustrations, too!

The art is nothing special (and actually looks a lot like something I drew in middle school for a Gifted & Talented program where you wrote, illustrated, and bound your own book...) and the story was flat. Spoiled unhappy blonde girl meets self-effacing black girl who is always happy because she's so kind and good. Unhappy blonde girl decides to start being less spoiled and more nice to people and then finds out that makes her happy. Trite and not compellingly written. Even my 3 year old wasn't interested in this story.