The United Nations recognises the importance of happiness and wellbeing and invites people to celebrate the International Day of Happiness on March 20th each year. This year the theme is ‘Be Mindful. Be Grateful. Be Kind.’
Happiness is something that is often overlooked in place of material possessions, but as they say, money can’t buy happiness (unless it’s spent on a book of course!). The United Nations hope that by celebrating an International Day of Happiness, they will be able to promote a global shift in thinking so that wellbeing is given more weight when considering progress.
The International Day of Happiness seeks to promote wellbeing in every sense of the word, not just the exciting positive emotions that are frequently associated with happiness, but also other more gentle emotions, like kindness. Although happiness feels like something that can be taken for granted, it isn’t always easy to feel happy, especially when faced with some of the issues in the world today. So, this year’s theme seeks to shift responses to be more positive wherever possible.
Below are some book recommendations that fit into the theme ‘Be Kind. Be Grateful. Be Kind.’, and I hope you will be able to use this to promote happiness in your schools on this year's International Day of Happiness.
Be Mindful
The following books can be used to promote introspection and understanding one’s feelings. They can be used to help your children answer the question ‘how am I feeling right now?’
Happy
Nicola Edwards
A beautiful book which encourages its readers to explore their emotions and the world around them. This read includes ideas of how to practice mindfulness in the real world and is a perfect way to inspire children to start reflecting on their feelings.
Find Your Happy
Emily Coxhead
An instantly engaging book that explores different emotions and offers various coping strategies for those which are slightly less pleasant. This read encourages an understanding of a whole range of emotions whilst ensuring children know there is always a way to find happiness.
Tisha and the Blossom
Wendy Meddour
Our lives are often busy, but this gorgeous book encourages readers to slow down, relax, and take note of the little things in life. This read also lets children know that they have some control over how much they do and can take time to stop and find some calm if they need.
The Great Big Book of Feelings
Mary Hoffman
A fantastic read that explores the breadth and depth of emotions. This book can be used to prompt children to think about and understand their feelings, and help them to feel comfortable discussing their emotions with others, as well as providing some suggestions for how to cope with different scenarios.
Mindfulness and Me
Rihanna Watts
A great introduction to mindfulness that will help your children tune into their minds and bodies. This read prompts children to think about what makes them special. This book is full of exercises and activities that encourage children to slow down, take stock, and pay attention to their needs.
Be Grateful
The following books will help your children answer the question ‘what am I thankful for?’. They aim to promote gratitude and an appreciation for what is around us.
Thank You for the Little Things
Caryl Hart
A thoughtful book that takes children on a journey of gratitude, and explores how focusing on the little things can help them handle their tricky feelings. This read prompts children to think about all the small things in their life that can make them smile.
Last Stop on Market Street
Matt de la Peña
A lovely story about finding the beauty in your everyday routine. CJ, a curious young boy, travels through town with his grandmother on the bus, and starts to question why they don't they have a car, why does he have to go with his grandmother, and why can't he have his own headphones? CJ's grandmother demonstrates kindess and gratitude throughout the story and helps to change CJ's perspective.
The World Made a Rainbow
Michelle Robinson
This book was inspired by the lockdown of 2020, and is a beautiful story full of hope. A young girl is feeling particularly down about not being able to see her friends or grandma while they must stay at home, but the family come together and adapt to the new circumstances by maintaining a positive attitude, and find that they can be happy with what they have at home.
Can You Feel the Noise
Stewart Foster
Based on the author's personal experience of hearing impairment, Can You Feel the Noise follows drummer Sophie, who one morning wakes up unable to hear and must find new ways to navigate her life, with her family, friends and hobbies. This is an empowering story of overcoming adversity and not letting anything stop you for reaching your dreams.
Be Kind
The following books promote kindness, charity and love for oneself and others, helping children answer the question ‘who do I want to send love to?’
I'm (Almost) Always Kind
Anna Claybourne
This gorgeous book explores what being kind really means, and why it's important to look at things from other people's perspective. The laser cut holes throughout help to demonstrate how kindness can spread from person to person.
Max Counts to a Million
Jeremy Williams
Eight year old Max is counting to a million, to help keep him occupied while his Dad is busy working at the hospital during lockdown. As his grandad battles the virus himself, Max's distratction turns into a huge record breaking effort. A poignant sory of community coming together, which celebrates how "ordinary people can accomplish epic things."
Human Kindness
John Francis
Human Kindness is a beautful exploration of kindness, including acts great and small. You can find many inspirational stories and people inside, including tales of extreme bravery, kind inventions, ancient kindness and more. This book helps you to see not only why kindness can benefit so many other people, but why it can even be healthy for yourself to practice it too!
Move Mountain
Corrine Averiss
The sun has always risen behing Mountain's back, so he could see the effects but never the event itself. One morning, Bird and Bear create an ingenious way to allow Mountain to experience the sunrise for the very first time. This is a lovely story celebrating friendship and kindness, in a creative way.
This list includes just a small selection of titles that can be used to promote happiness, but I hope this has inspired you to think about the different ways happiness can be defined and how you may be able to influence your children to view things more positively on this International Day of Happiness. If you are a teacher or work at a school and would be interested in these type of books, find out more about our school library supply service.
Remember: ‘Be Mindful. Be Grateful. Be Kind.’
- Booksellers Sophie and Amy Jane
