Grandma's guide to happiness by Andrew Daddo and Stephen Michael King

Daddo’s text is full of surprises. Many lines have an internal rhyme which sings, some lines are totally unexpected while other lines are unforgettable, and every line calls out to be read aloud, again and again. The line, 'How happy is swinging from a tree in the sun?'  for example, had me doing just that, recalling times spent as a child simply swinging, and the link to happiness is the point of the story. It is not necessary to have things, objects, devices, toys etc to make you happy. Happiness is in the simplest of things: walking through a puddle, making mud pies, stripping off and getting muddy, taking tea in a fairy garden, spending time with Grandma. All of these things require no great effort, experience or expense, they are there for us all to share and be involved with. 

Finger painting, flying a kite, swimming in the pool, making a daisy chain, running into the wind, making your cheeks blow in and out. All of these things are done with Grandma, making happy feel like drinking hot chocolate - feeling warm from the inside. 

This is a wonderful revelation of spending time with Grandma, doing the little things that she would have done as a a child, before they were put aside by modern technology. With a concentration on being outside, the things which make her happy are unchanging, things that can be done by anyone, using the environment and imagination. As a showcase of what can be done with small children, this is a treat, as spending time is at the base of everything being done, and who has more time to spare than Grandma. 

King’s illustrations are evocative of the place a Grandma has in a child’s life: someone who spends time with the child, being outdoors with them, showing the possibilities that imagination can evoke, doing things that the parents may not do themselves, all the time giving their undivided attention to the child. There is a little taste of doing the forbidden in the puddle sequence as Grandma looks around to encourage her grandchild.

I love the detail and humour that King captures in his work: the fairy garden is endlessly fascinating, the outside kitchen, Grandma’s swimming costume, the long scarf, the footwear (so many different pairs), the dog and the teddy bear popping in and out of unexpected places, and the birds, from a clutch of chooks to the endless parrots. All create a complimentary adjunct to the story, and eager fingers will trace the story on each page while listening to the words said aloud. 

King also presents the unexpected: Grandma is the one being pushed on the swing, Grandma is the leader splashing through puddles, Grandma is on one of those darned scooters. And Grandma loves water: readers will be amazed at the number of times Grandma is playing with water. And everyone will be happy after reading this book, the audience aglow with smiles of recognition and an urge to try out some of the activities for themselves.

Themes: Happiness, Humour, Grandmas, Grandchild.

Fran Knight