My Happy Life

When Dani can't sleep, she counts all the happy things that have happened to her in her life, ending with how excited she is to get her new schoolbag and go to school for the first time. But when she gets there, she starts to get worried. Will she like it? Will she have friends? Happily, after a few days she meets Ella. Ella is her very best friend and they are together through everything, even when they fight.

Then Ella moves away. Dani knows about loss - her mother died a long time ago - but she just can't handle Ella's loss. She's lonely and sad and she can't stop crying. Slowly, she starts to have happy times again. She makes new friends, although none are as close as Ella. She accidentally hurts another little boy and feels better show more after she apologizes. Her dad gets her two hamsters and they cheer her up even more. Best of all, she gets a letter from Ella and they are going to visit her!

This simple chapter book perfectly captures the the mindset of a young child, dealing with changes, loss, and friendship for the first time. Each page has a few simple sentences that perfectly capture Dani's feelings "The bandage that her teacher put on didn't help. It was very small and kept falling off. Dani kept crying. She cried because it hurt. She cried because Ella had moved." Julia Marshall, the translator, is a new name to me but she did an excellent job capturing the essential feeling of the language and experiences.

I've always been a fan of Eva Eriksson's illustrations and her snub-nosed little boys and girls are perfect for this story. When Dani is happy her whole face lights up. When she's sad her misery is apparent in every line of her body. The simple line drawings are the perfect accompaniment to this story.

Verdict: This won't appeal to every child - it's too long for most beginning readers and older readers won't be interested in a story about such a young child - but sensitive children who are good readers will find this a story to treasure.

ISBN: 9781877579356; Published 2013 by Gecko Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to my order list show less

(66) These days, it's easy to find books about girls who are bold and brassy and make friends easily. What's harder to find are the books about little girls who are pensive and shy and are looking for just one special friend. This book is one of the latter. There's a sweet sparseness to the chapter book text, with fine pencil drawings as illustrations. Dani is first apprehensive, then lonely, when starting school. After bonding with Ella, she is happy all the time. But when Ella moves away, can Dani be happy again? A gentle book for gentle, introverted girls. Recommended.

Genre:Early chapter book
Age appropriateness: 6 - 8 years
Review: Dani is looking forward to start school, but as she and her father approach the building, she begins to worry. Will she like her new teacher? Will she feel alone? Soon Dani and her classmate Ella become best friends, they sit together, play together, eating lunch together on a daily basis and even have occasional sleepovers. When Ella moves away, Dani is forlorn, and every other hurt is magnified by her sorrow. Her father’s gift of hamsters cheers her up a bit, but it takes some time, reflection, correspondence with Ella, and a promised visit before Dani feels whole again. it is a honest story and so genuine that it reflects the real life of children and their worries.In show more general, it is a sweet story about a little girl and how she faced the trials and traumas in her life, and came up triumphant every time
it is an early chapter book because it is aiming at intermediate reader, generally from 7-10. It tells story through prose rather than picture, it is fairly short and has been divided into short chapter to meet with children's limited attention span. show less

A sweet and simple book, with darling illustrations to match. A story that reflects the both complexity and clarity to be found in the lives of elementary school children. Teaches values of compassion, dedication to friends, resilience and the joy found in simple things. A really nice option for children who are ready for a chapter book, but require minimal text per page. I read it to my daughters and they gave it a thumbs up!

This book opens as Dani tries to fall asleep by counting all the times in her life she has been happy. Along with those happy times, she remembers some not so happy. Her mother died when she was very young and she lives with her father. Then, in her first year of school, her best friend moves away! But Dani stays positive. Lagercrantz excellently captures the buoyancy and optimism of childhood through the story of Dani’s life.

The text is suitable for a first or second grade reading level. Rarely is such emotion packed into so few and simple words! The illustrations flow smoothly with the text and are just as important in telling the story. It was surprising to me how exactly Eriksson could capture movement and expressions in her show more drawings.

Be sure to check out the other books in this series as well, My Heart is Laughing, When I Am Happiest, and Life According to Dani, to continue reading the tale of Dani’s happy life. Parents will want to read these charming books when their children have finished!

Reviewed by
Elizabeth L. / Branch Assistant show less

This Swedish translation is a sweet book. The start of school brings a new friendship, with all the highs and lows. The lowest low involves one of the friends moving. The simple story arc is accompanied by details which really flesh out the characters and story. Though the book is 135 pages, it is really quite shorter. There are many full page illustrations as well as sparse writing accompanying illustrations.

Summary: Dani is so excited to start school. She loves learning, and becomes quick friends with Ella. They have their first sleepover and create the Night Club (NC for short). Everything is perfect until Ella moves away. Dani cries often. School is not longer fun, macaroni and tomato sauce, her favorite food, and Dani is left floundering in life. Dani learns to dwell on her happy life, and ford the difficult currents in her young life.
Personal response and Curriculum Connection: It is difficult to really engage in such a simplistically written book. The story is sweet and definitely fits the target age group, it just lacks depth. What I did appreciate however was the fact that it addressed the issue of friends that are separated by show more moves in a realistic yet sweet and gentle way. This book addresses the "hard" issues that students have to deal with in life. The fact that outward appearances are not always the best indicators of what our young readers have to deal with in their lives, makes this book a winner. Many families in my town have recently had to manage moves and job changes in the family. This book would best be suited for a quick (2-3 day) read aloud in the classroom. It is one that would benefit the students by creating a lively discussion surrounding our "feelings" in school and how each of us has to navigate change in our lives. The text complexity matches that of a second or third grader, but the content is more engaging for a Kindergarten or first grade audience. show less