Rate this book

My Happy Life (2010)

by Rose Lagercrantz(Favorite Author)

3.88 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1877467804 (ISBN13: 9781877467806)

languge

English

genre

Middle Grade & Children's

publisher

Gecko

series

Dunia

review 1: I read this book in both Swedish and English. I love this series, and so do the kids. I found some of the English translations to be clumpy, though it's probably not anything a non-Swedish speaker would notice. Swedish is just such a great language for children's literature and certain phrases or words don't translate as charmingly. I think I actually liked the second book better, but that might be because I read it first. In Mitt lyckliga liv we get to know Dunne, who is always searching for happy moments in her life. Sometimes she's challenged by things like her best friend moving away, or accidentally hurting one of her classmates. The illustrations are so full of expression and the story is an honest depiction of every-day moments of a 6/7 year old. Pretty much anyone ... morecould relate to this series, very lovable.
review 2: The perfect early reader encapsulates the importance of the ordinary in the life of a child. In fact, the perfect story encapsulates the ordinary in the life a person of any age. This is a short, illustrated, early chapter book for ages 6 to 8, about the emotions a little girl experiences upon starting school and meeting her best friend. Dani is so happy she can't describe it, but when her best friend moves away, she becomes forlorn and is unsure whether she will recover from such a profound loss. Such an experience can impact an adult in a different but no less profound way. I like books that focus on the ordinary aspects of life, and with children this is especially important, because everything in their lives takes on the deepest significance, and it's unfair to undercut such experiences by labeling them as mundane. There's certainly value in stories about much more serious experiences, but I think it's easy to lose sight of the importance of something like losing a friend or taking a trip away from home, etc. This book has a lot of great illustrations throughout the text that bring to mind the layouts of the Shel Silverstein books. The text, meanwhile, recalls Beverly Cleary's Ramona. Awesome. less

Download links for: My Happy Life

Advertising