My Heart Fills with Happiness

? "A quiet loveliness, sense of gratitude, and--yes--happiness emanate from this tender celebration of simple pleasures."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

The sun on your face. The smell of warm bannock baking in the oven. Holding the hand of someone you love. What fills your heart with happiness? This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy.

International speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote My Heart Fills with Happiness to support the wellness of Indigenous children and families, and to encourage young children to reflect on what makes them happy.

Author: Monique Gray Smith
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 03/01/2016
Pages: 24
Binding Type: Board Book
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 6.90h x 6.90w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781459809574
Audience: Baby-Preschool


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 11/30/2015
Quill & Quire 03/01/2016 pg. 25
School Library Journal 03/01/2016 pg. 99
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2016

About the Author
Gray Smith, Monique: -

Monique Gray Smith is a mixed-heritage woman of Cree, Lakota and Scottish ancestry and a proud mom of twins. Monique is an accomplished consultant, writer and international speaker. Her first novel, Tilly: A Story of Hope and Resilience, won the 2014 Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature. Monique's picture book My Heart Fills With Happiness won the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize and was selected as the TD Grade One Giveaway Book for all grade one students in Canada in 2019. Monique and her family are blessed to live on Lekwungen territory in Victoria, British Columbia.

Flett, Julie: -

Julie Flett studied fine arts at Concordia University in Montreal and Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver. She won the Governor General's Award for Children's Literature for her work on When We Were Alone by David Robertson, and her book Birdsong won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award and was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award. She is the three-time recipient of the Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Award for Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet, Dolphin SOS and My Heart Fills With Happiness. Julie is Cree and Métis and lives in Vancouver.