This Joy!: A Picture Book

This Joy!: A Picture Book

Every day is a gift in this exuberant picture book about finding happiness in life’s small moments. My arms aren’t big enough to hold the whole world . . . But when I feel this happy, it’s all I want to do! My voice isn’t loud enough to express this joy! Why isn’t there a word for feeling this alive? In this poetic and buoyant story from author-illustrator Shelley Johannes, a young child tries to measure the size of her joy and the depth of her gratitude as she embraces the beauty of the day. Reveling in simple wonders with unbridled enthusiasm, This Joy! celebrates living with arms wide open—because today is a gift! PreS-Gr 2-A young girl celebrates the world around her and the love within her in a story figuratively bursting with happiness. Enjoying the beauty of nature, from soft green grass to tall trees and sand beneath her feet, the child attempts to express the immense joy she feels within her while she is experiencing these everyday miracles. Sharing that everything is a gift, from being with friends and loved ones to watching birds take flight in the sky, the girl divulges one final secret: although we can't capture every part of the beautiful world in our hands, we can always stretch out our arms and hold on to our loved ones. Beautiful pencil, marker, and crayon illustrations bring to life the joy in the young protagonist's world, and it is easy to imagine she could be the artist behind the illustrations as she enjoys activities such as finger puppets and playing with blocks. The short, poetic sentences, made up of a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, combine perfectly with the ebullient illustrations. The emotions she is so eager to describe come through every lovely page. VERDICT A wonderful reflection on enjoying the amazing world and people around us, this book will have readers young and old smiling in recognition.-Selenia Pazα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "A huge dose of joy and a clear reminder to celebrate each day and each other." ― Kirkus Reviews "Beautiful pencil, marker, and crayon illustrations bring to life the joy in the young protagonist’s world, and it is easy to imagine she could be the artist behind the illustrations as she enjoys activities such as finger puppets and playing with blocks. The short, poetic sentences, made up of a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, combine perfectly with the ebullient illustrations."― School Library Journal Shelley Johannes is the author-illustrator of the Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker chapter book series. A former architectural designer, she has a fondness for tracing paper, process, and accidental discoveries. She and her family live in Michigan with two feathered friends, Max and Alex, who make every day sunny and birdy. More Than Sunny was her debut picture book.