Blog Archives
The Science of Positive Psychology
Positives follows three children as they discover how practicing gratitude can transform their outlook, improve their emotions, and help them build meaningful new friendships. What inspired you to create this story for young readers?
Our troubled world. We’re having so many problems, and there’s so much tension and anxiety and people bickering and division going on in our world right now. I saw this, and I found myself very concerned about the next generation. Initially, I felt really hopeless and depressed. I thought, “What can I do?” I can’t change the political landscape, but I’ve been teaching a class on positive psychology for the last 16 years. Surely, I have something to offer. So I chose to write a children’s book that infuses positive psychology into the lives of these young people right at the time that they’re really going to need it. So, on the surface, the book seems to be about helping to improve happiness, but the real driving force behind it is helping them to become more optimistic and resilient.
Another strong motivator for the book is how happiness spreads. The science of positive psychology has proven that when one person becomes happier, it has the same spread as a virus. If you want to look it up, it’s Nicholas Christakis, and he has a book called Connected. So when one person becomes happier, it spreads to a thousand people per person! So if we get these books into even one classroom, it has the potential to help 30,000 people! So I’m hoping at a time in our history when we really, really need it, that this very small little book can help to make a big difference in our troubled world.
Dan begins the story feeling discouraged, while Annie and Zeke help him discover a new perspective. What did you want young readers to understand about changing difficult emotions?
I’ve been a therapist for nearly 20 years now, and I found that some people view difficult emotions like the weather. They believe the best they can do is get out their little umbrella and hope that it passes quickly. By teaching these positive psychology techniques, I’ve helped my students and my clients for years to realize that with a little bit of effort, they can improve their mood. It is incredibly empowering when you realize that there’s something that you can do to help yourself feel better. I felt like it was very important to instill this into our young people. Hopefully they take this skill home and teach it to their families. The next thing you know, happiness and optimism and resiliency are spreading throughout the country.
Annie shares a practice she learned from her grandfather. How did family wisdom and intergenerational connections influence the message of the book?
Well, I have to admit: in my personal family we’re a little short on intergenerational wisdom. So I’ll talk about my adopted family of positive psychology. In my class, Happiness 101, I often refer to Aunt Sonja, Aunt Barbara, and Uncle Dan. These are actually the giants of positive psychology: Sonja Lyubomirsky, Barbara Fredrickson, and Dan Gilbert. And in Positives, when Annie refers to Grandpa Marty, she’s alluding to Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology. There’s a ton of intergenerational wisdom there!
One of the things that I absolutely love about positive psychology is how it is supported by science. In fact, I think the scientific rigor for us to support what we’re saying is even more stringent. We want to prove the positive psychology interventions actually work. So, yeah, there’s tons and tons of research out there. If you want to read some books, I would highly recommend Martin Seligman’s book Flourish and, of course, Sonja Lybomirsky’s book, The How of Happiness, Barbara Frederickson’s Positivity, and Dan Gilbert’s book called Stumbling on Happiness.
What message do you hope young readers take away when they see Dan, Zeke, and Annie work through their feelings together?
My real hope for young readers is that they know they can improve their happiness – and that it is even better when you have other people to help support you. I want them to understand that they do not have to just be subject to whatever mood they are in – that they always have a choice!
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Amazon
Positives is a heartwarming children’s book that teaches kids the proven “Three Good Things” exercise from positive psychology. Through a fun and relatable story, children learn how noticing good things in their lives can lift their mood, build resilience, and strengthen friendships.
Follow Dan, Zeke, and Annie—three kids who each struggle with their own challenges—as they discover the power of sharing “positives” together. With the help of Annie’s imaginary emotional support cat, Mr. Face, they learn that even small moments of gratitude can make a big difference.
This engaging story is based on the science of Dr. Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, and is designed to help children:
Feel happier and more hopeful
Build emotional resilience
Strengthen social connections
Practice gratitude in a fun, simple way
Positives is perfect for bedtime reading, classroom activities, or starting a new family tradition.
Give your child the tools to feel happier—one positive at a time.
The Happiest Therapist Presents: Positives
Positives is a lively children’s book and social-emotional learning book about three kids who discover how gratitude can shift their mood and strengthen new friendships. Dan starts the day feeling low, Zeke wants to help but isn’t sure how, and Annie introduces them to “Three Good Things,” a positive psychology exercise she learned from her grandfather. The story turns a practical emotional wellness tool into a kid-friendly conversation that feels natural rather than instructional.
Positives works best when the characters begin sharing specific reasons for their gratitude. They appreciate family members, teachers, friendship, a beloved cat, and even ordinary things like dirt and bolts. Those unexpected examples add humor while showing children that gratitude doesn’t have to focus only on major events. The changing color of Dan’s mood ring gives young readers a clear visual measure of how his feelings improve, and the happiness ratings help reinforce that emotions can shift without suggesting they’ll disappear instantly.
The book also succeeds as a children’s mental health picture book because each main character brings a recognizable concern to the group. Annie feels anxious around new people, Zeke struggles with belonging, and Dan feels burdened by responsibilities and wakes up in a gloomy mood. Their conversation shows kindness, courage, and active listening in a way that children can easily follow. Mr. Face, Annie’s imaginary emotional support cat, adds warmth and silliness, and he gives anxious readers a playful example of using imagination for comfort.
Cat Charm’s bright, expressive illustrations carry much of the book’s personality. The characters’ body language is easy to read, the comic-style page layouts keep the dialogue moving, and the color-coded text helps distinguish each speaker. Mr. Face’s translucent blue design makes him instantly memorable, while visual jokes involving hats, mud pies, bolts, and superhero poses keep the lesson buoyant. Overall, Positives is an engaging picture book that gives families, counselors, and classrooms a simple activity they can discuss and practice together.
Pages: 40 | ASIN : B0GHPZ4SHP
I’ll Be This, You’ll Be That!
Mansi Sharma’s I’ll Be This, You’ll Be That! is a tender picture book about a little boy whose anger toward his mother softens through imagination, play, and the steady reassurance of love. After Grandma’s glasses break by accident and Mommy scolds him, the boy decides he won’t talk to her, hug her, or even accept her slice of cake. But when he begins pretending he’ll become grass, a cloud, a river, a rock, a flower, a shark, the wind, and finally a bird, his mother answers each transformation with one of her own. She’ll be the soil, the sky, the shore, the beetle, the hummingbird, the sea, the mountain, and the mama bird beside him. Slowly, the game carries them both back to warmth, laughter, cake, and closeness.
What I liked most is how honestly the book treats a child’s anger without making it seem silly or wrong. The boy’s feelings are big, prickly, and dramatic, exactly the way they can be at that age, especially when shame sneaks in after an accident. I found the mother’s response quietly beautiful. She doesn’t lecture him into forgiveness or rush him past his feelings. She joins him. That idea feels simple on the page, but as a parent, it landed with real weight. The writing has a soft, repeating rhythm that makes the story feel almost like a call-and-response lullaby, and some of the images are genuinely lovely.
The artwork has a sweet, hand-drawn warmth that suits the emotional arc of the story. I especially liked the way the early pictures hold the boy’s stubbornness in bright, crayon-like color, while the nature scenes open the book outward into clouds, rivers, birds, flowers, and wind. The artwork feels childlike in a way that matches the story’s imagination. The strongest image for me was the one where the mother and child are hugging at the end, because the emotion is immediate and easy to read. You can see the happiness in their faces.
By the end, I felt moved by the book’s gentle confidence in repair. It understands that children don’t always need a perfect explanation for love; they need to feel that it’s still there when they’re messy, mad, embarrassed, or trying very hard not to care. I’ll Be This, You’ll Be That! is a sweet and emotionally aware children’s book for families with preschool and early elementary children, especially kids who are learning how to name anger, accept comfort, and come back after a hard moment. I’d recommend it to parents who want a cozy story about unconditional love that also gives them a quiet little model for patience.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0GKY1FWFR
Robbie, The Grumpy Bumpy Rooster: Part 1 of the Rooster Series
In Robbie, the Grumpy Bumpy Rooster, little Lucy, a delicate blue pysanka chicken with a painful foot and a gentle spirit, is learning how to find her voice in a busy Ukrainian chookyard when Robbie, a vain and angry rooster, storms in and frightens the smallest chickens. The flock rallies around her, especially Sofia, Hapka, Boris, and the Babas, and the story becomes less about one rooster’s tantrum than about safety, courage, and the deep comfort of being protected by your people.
I found the heart of this children’s book tender and surprisingly intense. As a parent, I really responded to the way Lucy’s vulnerability is handled. She isn’t written as fragile in a way that evokes pity, but as a childlike creature who needs extra care, gets tired, plays tricks, struggles, and still belongs completely. The writing has a slightly old-fashioned storytelling feel, with repetition, big sounds, and emotional directness that would work well read aloud. It feels like the author is making room for a child’s fear to be taken seriously.
The ideas in the book are what stayed with me most. Robbie’s anger is frightening, but the story doesn’t pretend children can simply out-brave a bully on their own. Instead, it shows help arriving from all sides: a mother, an elder, a protector, and trusted adults. I appreciated that. The artwork adds a lot of personality, especially Robbie’s colors and expressions, Lucy’s soft yellow-blue sweetness, and the warm domestic details of the Babas, the lemon tree, the tea, and the poppyseed cake.
This is a heartfelt and emotionally honest picture book with a strong protective instinct at its center. It’s an educational story, and Robbie’s bullying has real bite. The story opens the door to meaningful conversations about fear, anger, difference, and asking for help. I’d recommend it for families with young children who are learning how to name big feelings, especially kids who’ve felt picked on, overwhelmed, or in need of reassurance that someone will come when they call.
Pages: 31 | ASIN : B0FL7KH4DG
Bella and Bird Explore Sadness
In Bella and Bird Explore Sadness, Molly arrives in the pasture feeling deeply hurt after being left out by friends, and Bella the gentle horse and Bird the playful barn swallow help her sit with that sadness instead of rushing it away. Through quiet companionship, breathing with a feather, naming feelings on an emotion wheel, drawing what’s inside, and gently questioning “foggy thinking,” Molly begins to understand what she’s feeling and what she can do next.
I appreciated how patient this children’s book is. It doesn’t treat sadness like a problem to fix in three pages, which matters to me as a parent. Molly is allowed to cry, really cry, and that small choice gives the story a surprising amount of emotional honesty. Bella’s guidance feels steady and kind, while Bird brings just enough humor to keep the book from becoming too heavy. A few of the therapeutic ideas are stated pretty directly, so it occasionally reads more like a guided conversation than a traditional story, but for this subject, I didn’t mind. I’d rather have clarity than coyness when a child is trying to understand a big feeling.
The artwork is soft, cute, and impactful. I loved the autumn palette, the wide pasture scenes, and the way Molly’s emotions are always evident. Bella’s large black-and-white presence feels protective, and Bird’s bright colors add a little lift exactly where the pages need it. The visual moments with the emotion wheel and Molly’s drawing are especially useful because they turn abstract feelings into something a child can actually point to and talk about.
I found this to be a thoughtful, tender picture book with a clear purpose and a genuinely comforting heart. It would be especially good for children ages five to ten who get overwhelmed by friendship struggles, rejection, or hard-to-name feelings, and for parents who want a calm way to begin those conversations. It’s a gentle, practical book for families who believe feelings don’t need to be feared, only understood.
Pages: 32 | ASIN : B0GW9JXL7G
The Kids’ Book of Brave: A Gentle Guide to Finding Your Yet
The Kids’ Book of Brave, by Catherine Stephenson, is a gentle picture book about confidence, nervousness, and the small, ordinary moments when children learn to keep going. Through classroom worries, playground rejection, spilled cupcake batter, jealousy, shyness, and trying something new, the book shows bravery as something quiet and practical rather than loud or showy. Its central idea is simple but lovely: children don’t have to feel fearless to be brave; they just need one small step.
I really appreciated how tenderly the writing handles big feelings. As a parent, I’m always drawn to books that don’t rush children out of discomfort, and this one sits beside them for a moment instead. The repeated ideas, such as adding “yet” to “I can’t do this,” taking a slow breath, and noticing the thump-thump in your body, feel reassuring without becoming preachy. The phrasing is especially warm, and Stephenson gives children language for feelings that can otherwise seem huge and shapeless.
The artwork has a soft, handmade sweetness that fits the subject beautifully. The pencil and watercolor illustrations feel light and convey emotions well, with children who look uncertain, proud, jealous, shy, or relieved in ways that are easy to recognize. I especially liked that bravery is shown in such modest scenes: raising a hand, tapping a soccer ball, asking for help, and walking into a classroom. The ideas are familiar, but they’re handled with care, and the book’s rhythm gives those little moments real weight.
The Kids’ Book of Brave is a thoughtful and comforting children’s book with a clear sense of purpose. It doesn’t make confidence seem magical or instant, which I value; it presents it as something children can build, breath by breath and choice by choice. I’d recommend it for preschool and early elementary kids, especially those who are anxious, perfectionistic, shy, or easily discouraged, and for parents who want a calm way to talk about courage without making feelings sound like a problem to fix.
Pages: 42 | ISBN : 978-1917442091
YOU ARE MY YELLOW
You Are My Yellow follows Tony, a yellow monster living in the very green Land Green, where being different makes him feel lonely and unwanted. After trying to hide who he is, Tony meets Penny, a small red dragon who also feels out of place because she can’t fly or breathe fire like the others. Their friendship becomes the heart of the story, and when danger strikes Tony’s school, Penny discovers that the very thing she thought made her “bad” at being a dragon is actually what helps her save the day.
I found the emotional core of this book genuinely touching. I’m like stories that give children language for that awful little ache of feeling excluded, and Tony’s sadness felt easy to understand without being too heavy. The message is clear, and I appreciated that the book doesn’t just say “be yourself” and leave it there. It shows how hard that can be when everyone around you seems to agree that different means wrong.
The writing has a bouncy, rhyming rhythm that gives the story a playful read-aloud quality, though there are moments when the rhyme takes over and makes the wording feel a bit crowded. Still, there’s warmth in the repetition, especially in phrases like “You are my yellow,” which becomes tender rather than cute. The ideas are simple but sincere: belonging, courage, friendship, and the painful little compromises children sometimes make to fit in. The artwork supports those ideas beautifully. I liked the strong color worlds, the green sameness of Tony’s home, the red warmth of Penny, and the way the illustrations make difference visible before the story even explains it.
You Are My Yellow is a gentle and heartfelt story about self-acceptance, but what stayed with me most was the friendship between two children who recognize each other’s hurt and make room for each other. I’d recommend it for young readers who are navigating friendship, confidence, or feeling different, and especially for parents who want a story that opens the door to a tender conversation afterward.
Pages: 36 | ISBN : 978-1037117695
Pressure-Reduced Outlets
Kyle and His Pal Jake: What a Duo These Two Make! follows a young boy into adulthood as he rediscovers the joy of ventriloquism and uses it to reach his students. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
This story is semi-autobiographical. When I was ten, I received a ventriloquist puppet that looked like Paul Winchell’s dummy, Jerry Mahoney (which I still have to this day). It came with an LP record that taught me ventriloquism. And, yes, I put on shows for my friends in my garage with a stage my Papa had made for me.
As an elementary school teacher, I would have the kids make their own puppets based on characters in the stories we had been reading. Then, in groups, they presented the stories to the class. I also taught them ventriloquism.
Kyle’s embarrassment in middle school feels very relatable. Was it important to show how quickly children can hide something they love when they feel judged?
Oh, yes. Young people don’t like to be ridiculed and judged for having unique hobbies or interests. As a teacher, we celebrated our varying interests in my classroom.
What role do you think creativity plays in helping children feel emotionally safe?
It is my belief that creative activities provide relaxed, pressure-reduced outlets where children can process and express their feelings.
If a child reading the book sees something of themselves in Kyle, what do you hope they feel by the last page?
It’s okay to have interests and talents that differ from others, whether it is academically or intellectually, athletically, or theatrically.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon
Now a third-grade teacher, Kyle is always looking for ways to reach his students, especially Wendy, a shy, silent girl. An answer arrives in a package from his mom. In it are items from his youth, his baseball glove, his favorite chapter books, a model airplane, and Jake.
As he removes Jake from the box, Kyle comes up with a plan on how he can use Jake in his classroom and help Wendy come out of her shell.
