So Happy!

by Kevin Henkes, Anita Lobel (Illustrator)

There once was a boy, a rabbit, a magic seed, and a book... The boy, who was bored, went looking for something to do. The rabbit, who was curious, explored until he was lost. The seed was thirsty, but soon it grew and grew and grew. And the book? Turn the pages! It will make you so happy. "A satisfying look at the interplay of nature, time, and love." (Publishers Weekly)

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Cultural, Animals, Storytime, Family, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 15, 2005

About the author

Kevin Henkes is an American writer and illustrator of children's books. As an illustrator he won the Caldecott Medal for Kitten's First Full Moon (2004). Two of his books were Newbery Medal Honor Books, Olive's Ocean in 2004 and The Year of Billy Miller in 2014. His picture book Waiting was named both a 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and a Geisel Honor Book. It was only the second time any author has won that combination of awards.

Reviews

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not exactly sure how to evaluate this book. I found it in a library I was working in this week. Anita Lobel's art makes me very happy. I could spend hours perusing her illustrations. Others have written that it is as if Van Gogh painted the desert, and I agree. The text is very simple with three story lines intersecting and connecting, that of a bored boy, a lost rabbit and a magic seed.

It was published in 2005. In this time of #ownvoices, I'm uncomfortable with this Native American/Latino family and the magical realism components created by two stunning artists and storytellers who are not from the culture.

[Abby Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich illustrations and clever text make for a sweet and simple story.

[Peony · Rating 1 out of 5]

everyday life, multicultural, impressionist

4-8

This was kind of a dud, which was surprising given its contributors. A boy is bored, a bunny lost, and a seed in need of water. Their conflicts are resolved after some rain, and their plots somewhat interwoven. But there is nothing interesting about any of the "characters," and only the barest hint of narrative drive. There's really no point at all, and the language itself isn't engaging or poetic. The illustrations are nice enough, with a Van Gogh effect, though there is some slightly questionable "multiculturalism" in the form of its rather stereotypical looking latino characters.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henkes and Lobel are quite the talented duo, I was practically giddy when I came across this book at the library. And I was not disappointed.

The structure of the book is unique as it actually tells three stories. The story of a magic seed that originally fails to grow. The story of a rabbit who gets lost but eventually finds his way home. And the story of a boy who learns a valuable lesson. Lobel's illustrations boldly and softly add depth to Henkes' almost poetic text. I especially enjoyed the pages that showcased three strips of illustrations to represent the three distinct stories being told.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children and whimsy are natural partners. Here are three very short subjects that come together in a very nice way thanks to the rain that came. Anita Lobel's artwork is lush and reminiscent of Mexican or Native American textures with a semi-arid landscape. It has three things that seem to intrigue any small child: growing things from seeds, small fuzzy animals, and rain (what kid doesn't like playing in the rain?). Getting all three into one short book is quite a feat, but it all works out in the end of this very happy tale.

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a huge Henkes fan, so far this is probably my least favorite of his books. It’s not bad but just lacks a little. The interconnected ness of the characters and the environment reminds me a bit of his story A Good Day, but that book does what this one does much better. My kids liked it well enough. It’s worth a read once or twice but I wouldn’t buy it myself.
The text is simple but enhanced by the illustrations which help drive the story. The plot is also pretty simple-a boy is bored, a bunny wanders, a magic seed won’t grow. Then the rain comes and changes something for each of them.

[Virgiliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Vincent Van Gogh and the deserts of North America captivate your heart … buy this book. You will want to frame the frontispiece to hang on your wall. That was my reaction, anyway. Anita Lobel is successfully channeling Van Gogh. Wow. The story is simple and sweet. Beautiful book. My 2.5 year old enjoyed it, too. (-;

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I think it’s kind of cool how the three stories came together. On the other hand, it make the book a little disjointed. I also was not a huge fan of the illustration style.

[Libby Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book my kids frequently request from the library. I don’t know what it is exactly that fascinates them. But the sequence of events is methodical along with engaging illustrations.

Highly recommended for 2-5

[Danette · Rating 2 out of 5]

6/19/18 Read with Naomi, Julia, & Simon

[The Transmuted Tree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Red 2nd

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quotes:

First Line: "Someone had planted a magic seed."

[Olivia Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story has a parallel of characters: the seed, rabbit, and a boy. Each go through a type of turmoil then comes out of it.
For a plant: it is planted but no water so it doesnt grow (can teach students about the cycle of plant growth and what is needed), it rain and the seed grew,snd grew and grew, until it became a flower and the boy gave it to his mom.
The rabbit was exploring until it got lost. When it rain the rabbit was trapped with no way to get home. he freaked how because he missed his family, then boy build bridge and it went home.
Boy was bored, got an idea, started to build a bridge and give the flower to his mom.
Teaches interconnections in the story.
Learn about barren country, land, that depends on water. Can tie a S.S. in to then book to guess where the setting is.

[Sharon Medina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is about a seed, a boy, and a rabbit. The seed was planted but cannot grow. The rabbit strays from his family and crossed a dried creek and became lost. Then the boy who was at home bored and had nothing to do. One day the rain came and the river became full; however this became an issue for the rabbit because it could not cross back over to go home. The boy became excited and was playing in the rain. He gathered sticks and created a bridge over the creek. The rabbit was then able to cross back over and went home. The boy went home with a gift for his mother; a beautiful flower that was made from the seed that was planted. In the end, everyone was so happy!

Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Suggest age: 4-8 years old

[Danielle Harriger · Rating 3 out of 5]

PB 44: I thought this book was satisfactory because it had some positive aspects, such as the captivating images that allowed me to immerse myself in the culture and welcoming mood of the story. I liked that the story integrated three separate tales to show how things in the world all relate to and affect each other. However, I thought the story did not have much of a plot, and it was very short. Also, the title “So happy!” was interjected at the end of the story, but it did not fit well with what was happening in the story. Thus, even though the illustrations were very impressive, I did not find the story to be worthy of recommending to others.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a somewhat strange tale about how rain changes the landscape and how it affects the world around us. The narrative folllows a rabbit, a boy and a magic seed throughout and cuts to each in turn. The three stories are connected, but only loosely and the ending is happy, yet almost philosophical.

The watercolor and white gouache illustrations are lovely and have an almost Van Gogh "Starry Night" feel to them. The short, simple narrative and colorful illustrations make this an appropriate book for younger children, but I think they will not be able to appreciate the metaphysical nature of the story.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone plants a seed. A bunny gets lost. And a boy is bored. All of these stories weave together and are connected. The seed cannot grow because there's no rain and the bunny crosses the small river. Then the rain comes and the creek gets bigger, causing the seed to grow, etc.
I love how three different stories intertwine, and how the boy gives the flower to his mom in the end. But even I had a hard time following along with this story. It was a little messy, and I probably wouldn't suggest it to anyone.

[Christie Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cause and effect book. There is a seed and a boy and a rabbit. They all are affected by the rain, and their individual stories interwine into this interesting tale. The illustrations are not done by Kevin Kenkes this time, but are beautiful, and seem to depict an American Indina family or a Mexican American family. This could be multicultural,but it is universal. The think I liked the most was that the boy was "bored" and he found something to do outside that was useful and interesting and he enjoyed.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

CIP: Brief text and illustrations tell the story of a boy, a rabbit, and a seed.

Review: The wonderful art (Southwestern meets Van Gogh) telegraphs the moods in this simply and sparely told story of a bored boy, a lost rabbit, and a flower bulb, all waiting for the right conditions to come together. The art alone sold me on this book.

School Library Journal: "A satisfying look at the interplay of nature, time, and love."
Booklist: Starred review.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This made me think of Henkes' later A Good Day with the parallel stories and the uplift of emotion at the end. I like the dusty colors. I like that the three full page spreads accent the main beats of the story: the rain (change agent), the rainbow (as climax), and the boy and his mother (resolution). Not so great for storytime, but a marvelous 1-on-1 book, rich with possibilities for open-ended questions and predicting, and lots of detailed illustrations to describe.

[Zilha B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This simple story is about a magic seed that was planted and a rabbit that got stuck. A young, bored boy built a bridge that allowed the rabbit to become free, and the little boy was able to bring flowers to his mother. This story has different stories within that somehow connect. I would, therefore, use this book to teach about another way to write. It can show students that the author can have multiple stories or parts that can connect in some way- another form of writing.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd probably give this book one and a half stars, but would consider the full two.

Kevin Henkes's books do tend to make me So Happy. This one is a nice story about a boy, a rabbit, a seed, and how their destinies interact in one seemingly insignificant moment. I like the way Kevin Henkes's mind works.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed most of the art. Lots of beautiful colors and shading.

But the whole thing with the bunny. It didn't ... I know it sounds picky but it didn't quite gel for me. And after all that work (slight spoiler ahead) ...




that is what happens to the seed? All that build up?


Though I guess that is a purpose to be served as well. :/

[Jess Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great storyline, but the pictures were beautiful. This story has great pictures that could leave you loving the book even more. Not only in my classroom do I want good books to read, I want great illustrations in those books for my students to use to be creative and make their own art like Kevin Henkes!

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of both Kevin Henkes and Anita Lobel, but for a 20-month old toddler, this book didn't cut it. There seemed to be three simultaneous story lines, though simple, it still being a picture book after all. There wasn't much text on each page but it didn't engage her attention. Maybe when she's older.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

The illustrations are beautiful but the story was so disconnected that I just didn't get it. A boy, a bunny, and a seed are the main players in the story. This story, contrary to its promises, did not make me happy.

Booklist gave it a starred review so maybe I'm just wrong.

[Charles Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was pretty good. I liked the illustrations but what I liked most was the fact that the three stories came together at the end to have a happy ending. This book would be a little confusing for a beginning reader.

[Heather Bowden · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book so much, but it had some repetition in it. I think it had a sentence in it that wasn't grammatically correct, and I don't feel like it flowed. It's a good book to show diversity in the classroom, but not a good book for a mini-lesson or anything like that.

[Hope L. Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure impressionism comes across in story form here. The illustrations are lovely. The three story lines can be confusing if you don't know immediately that you're dealing with a particular literary form here.

[Molly Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely!

Kevin Henkes continues to be one of my Top Two Favorites.