When you think of spring - green budding trees, flowers pushing gently through the soil, warm sunshine beaming down on your face……what do you do? You close your eyes, revel in the moment, and smile! Happiness has arrived! The featured books for this month are:

Title: Smile!
Author and Illustrator: Leigh Hodgkinson
Ages: 2-6

This is an adorable, uplifting story with fantastic, simple illustrations that truly will make you smile. Mom says,” No more cookies, not even the crumbs” and suddenly little Sunny has lost her smile. She searches everywhere around the house to find it.

She even entertains the thought that perhaps her smile was stolen. As she searches under her bed - she inadvertently cleans her room, her pet fish are miraculously fed and then she is able to spend quality time with her much-beloved dog. The story reminds us that everyone gets a little grumpy sometimes and that other people can lose their smiles too!

There is a little surprise at the end of the story that little ones can relate to. Read this little treasure, as it is sure to make put a smile on your face! A great read aloud.

Title: The Happiness Tree
Author: Andrea Gosline
Illustrator: Lisa Burnett Bossi
Ages: 7-10

This book is a celebration of one of God’s most precious resources. The production team printed ‘The Happiness Tree’ on 50% post-consumer waste paper, which makes it feel almost like cloth, and it gives the illustrator’s jewel-tone paintings even more depth.

The gentle rhymes in this book express the virtues of trees : peace, generosity, love and happiness. In all, ten trees join together to make this one absolutely stunning book for the young and gifted child. In this story, each tree is unique. The blue spruce represents tolerance; the yellow poplar stands for love. There is a detailed index of the featured trees included at the end of the book.

Andrea Gosline and Lisa Bossi are co-creators of inspirational books, greeting cards, and guided journals. All of their work draws on the love of family and the wonder of nature. The choice to print on 50% post consumer waste paper can open up a discussion on saving trees and the importance of tree-planting. Trees play a critical role in replacing the oxygen that we need to breathe each day.

Check out these sites for a laugh or a giggle:

• www.funology.com
• www.funbrain.com