The Little Book of Joy

In this picture book adaptation of 2016's The Book of Joy, the Nobel Peace Prize winners recall childhoods growing up "on opposite sides of the world." Mixed-media art by López (The Year We Learned to Fly) initially evokes the specificity of the narrators' respective homelands, soon moving into more metaphoric idyllic settings, rendered in radiant hues, that spotlight rainbow-like ribbons and are populated by a global cast of joyful children. In initial spreads, readers see young Tutu in a sunbaked town ("One of us grew up in a little house"), while the young Dalai Lama roams a monastic-seeming building's expanses ("One of us grew up in a big house"). Though loneliness and isolation seem to initially define their respective lives ("Both of us wished for a friend"), each discovers that by opening their hearts to the beauty around them, they become more resilient and hopeful. "If you just focus on the thing that is making you sad, then sadness is all you see," reads a spread that shows a zoomed-in moment of sadness followed by fuller, more hopeful context: "But if you look around, you will see that joy is everywhere." With unalloyed optimism, the pages earnestly lean into the creators' comforting promise: "As it spreads from person to person, the world will fill with JOY." Ages 3-7. (Sept.)

K-Gr 4--Based on The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, this picture book offers children the idea that joy is everywhere, even during the most painful of times. These holy men share stories of their difficult and lonely childhoods and how they found positive, joyful experiences in the simplest of events. The early illustrations are in muted tones with a hint of rainbow colors. After the realization that joy is all around and can be found in a roadside flower or ray of sunshine, the pictures are infused with the color of rainbows on every page. And when that joy is shared, the pages glow. The idea that even after a storm there may be a rainbow is the basic theme that is passed on to young readers. For children who find themselves in a puzzling and difficult world, this work can offer hope and guidance. VERDICT Though idealized, the book offers true words of hope for any child who is struggling; it may be useful as a classroom read-aloud to encourage discussion during challenging times.--Eva Elisabeth VonAncken