Where Dani goes, happy follows by Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson

My happy life series. Gecko Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781776572267.
(Age 5+) Extremely highly recommended. Themes: Family, Grief, Depression, Friendship, Grandparents, Happiness. The Dani stories are delightful in their simplicity. This is the sixth book written about Dani and although they are best read in order of publication, each title is beautiful as a stand-alone novel.
In this book, Dani's father is again sad over the death of her mother and decides to leave Dani with her grandparents and head back to Rome to see his parents and family. Dani is not happy about this situation but as always tries to make the best of it. While playing in the snow she realizes that it is her best friend's birthday and she asks to go to see her. This means travelling on the train on her own which leads to new adventures and discoveries.
The Dani stories are gentle discussions on childhood experiences and life in general. The author does not shy away from adult themes such as a relationship breakdown but includes these in terms that children can understand, without being patronising or sugar coating them.
The Dani books are fantastic for young readers who are independent but are just as fantastic as read aloud stories for the classroom. These books would be fantastic to generate conversations about safety, feelings, friendship and family dynamics.
Where Dani goes, happy follows is a fantastic novel and is bound to become a favourite of any reader.
Mhairi Alcorn