Happy Makes Me Happy is a sweet story about the pure joy that a dog brings to a little girl's life. Happy is a puppy who gives unconditional love and lots of doggy kisses. This is a beautifully illustrated book that will show young readers the value of love and kindness.

If you've ever been owned by a dog, my hunch is you'll find yourself smiling as you read this book. Illustrated by Blinky, Michael Barnes' story of Happy and his girl made me smile. The colors used add to that soothing, happy sense as they're of the earth with touches of brighter colors and, oh, that beautiful blue sky with the birds and butterflies. In fact, the repetition of the sky art, neatly coupled with the next picture of the action, is somehow soothing, I decided after pondering the why of it. In a rhyming narrative, repetition adds to the sense of peaceful, all is right with the world while preparing us for the next scene.

Happy the dog appears to be a spaniel type and, yes, he's a smiley, happy dog. So is his girl. Interesting that Happy is the only character named in the narrative, a hint on where our focus should be. Happy is seemingly a gentle, loving dog, always ready for adventure or to share a lick or smile. Oh, that tongue. His girl and her friends are diverse, both male and female, I'll note. When the parents enter the scene the woman/mother is wearing a dress of sunny yellow as the man/father seems to be grilling their meal. The friends and, of course, Happy, remain. One nice, subtle scene shows the children and adults holding hands and forming a circle around Happy, again making that happy dog the focus. Great interaction.

That night, after her friends have left and it's time for a last cuddle and bedtime, we see Happy without his blue bandana for the first time. It's hanging from the girl's bed's headboard while Happy, well, happily snoozes in his comfy bed beside it. We even get a peek at what he's dreaming about via a thought bubble. I bet you can guess it was a happy dream.

As someone owned by a dog, albeit mine claims whatever percentage of my bed that she so wants, I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely children's book dedicated to the author's own daughter. The message is simple, love others and treat them with gentleness. The illustrations and rhyme of the story makes it a delight to read. Thank you #NetGalley and #MKAuthorMarketingServices for letting me enjoy my lovely day with Happy and friends.

“Happy Makes Me Happy” made me happy after reading it! This is such a sweet rhyming book about kindness. We can learn so much from animals and this book shows learning love and gentleness from a dog.

Thank you, Netgalley and MK Author Marketing Services, for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and MK Author Marketing Service for this ARC. I read this book to my daughter and she enjoyed it! I really enjoyed the illustrations and thought this story flowed very well. I really enjoyed the lesson of being kind to others this story teaches. It makes a great addition to the shelf. 🤍

This is a cute children’s book which is perfect for early readers in preschool through first grade. The illustrations are very simplistic, but nice.

What a cute children’s book! This would be a perfect book for any age child. I read this to both my 1.5 year old son and 3 year old daughter. I love children’s books that aren’t too wordy so it holds their attention. There were great lessons in this book like sharing and being kind to others. My 3 year old was able to ask questions and was happy to see the photos of the dog. I would buy this for my next children’s birthday gift!