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Be Happy (Deluxe Edition): A Little Book to Help You Live a Happy Life

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The bestselling, inspiring book from beloved illustrator Monica Sheehan now in a gorgeous deluxe edition, for anyone seeking a dose of encouragement, humor, and joy.

Pairing simple truths with charming, whimsical illustrations, Be Happy gently encourages you to rediscover life's simple pleasures that add up to a happy life -- to show up, stay inspired, live in the moment, dance, unplug...and just get a good night's sleep.

A little gem of wit and wisdom, this deluxe package -- with a gorgeous red, textured cover; slightly larger trim; and brand-new spreads -- makes for an irresistible keepsake, and a meaningful gift for grads, new parents, newlyweds, or anyone starting down a new path in life.

128 pages, Hardcover

First published March 26, 2007

4 people are currently reading
208 people want to read

About the author

Monica Sheehan

25 books12 followers

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5 stars
146 (49%)
4 stars
84 (28%)
3 stars
43 (14%)
2 stars
16 (5%)
1 star
7 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Profile Image for Tanneke.
45 reviews1 follower
March 12, 2016
It's good to stop and think about all the things we should be happy about. What a sweet gift to receive!
56 reviews24 followers
February 8, 2021
A quick, delightful read in just minutes. Simple line drawings pair with suggestions such as "Be kind" to elicit smiles and laughter.
Profile Image for Kylie.
113 reviews42 followers
October 4, 2015
I love this little book. Whenever I am feeling especially down, I whip out this collection of ways to be happy. From dancing to being with friends, there are dozens of solutions for loneliness and depression. Each page has something that makes people happy, and a simple drawing. The drawings are my favorite part. It's black and white and is basically stick figures. I recommend picking up this little book t bring some happiness to your life. It is adorable and can really be helpful.
Profile Image for JT.
157 reviews12 followers
July 14, 2015
A cute book that I happened to chance upon in the airport. Bought it after flipping through and have no regrets in the decision of buying it. The content of the book is so apt and true. I also love how cute the cartoons are! :) Life motto book.
Profile Image for Adrini Chia.
218 reviews
December 31, 2023
This is a very cute book, tiny and simple. It's basically a list of ways to be happy. One page has one sentence and then next to it is a little cute doodle. And that's it. You flip , you read one sentence, look at a drawing, and repeat. Things like believe in yourself, exercise, get a good night's sleep, dont beat yourself up, etc.

I feel like it'd be a cute gift to give certain people. I am actually giving away almost all my books, gave 4 luggage bags away yesterday but.. I think I will keep this book, perhaps when I am sad I will open one random page and give it a thought.



A more personal take/lowkey tmi + how one can use the book:
I think, I like this also because it resonates with something I did back when I had to undergo intense treatment for a mental disorder. My doctor made me write a lot of list, one of em was on how to love myself.

I realize I had to not wait for the feeling of love to magically appear to love myself, but I imagined what I want someone I love to do. As in.. if i had to care for someone I hold deep in my heart what would I want them to do? Eat the right things, brush their teeth, take care of their skin, drink enough water, get enough sleep, sweep their floor, have a clean room, don't let dust gather up in your ceiling fans and lights cause if it falls on u u sneeze n could get sick :P

If I could live with someone I love, I would want to make sure they do these things.

So, I made a list and tried to do those things for myself. Sure, at that time, I didn't love myself (now I do.... Well.... Sometimes 🤣 I mean, I know I'm still pretty whack and stupid really, I still question myself if I'm right in the head or doing the correct things but anyways) and I would just do those actions, at least one a day.

Example, if i could shower and brush my teeth and blabla, then I'd open my book, choose one thing on the list like "make your bed" and I'd do it, even if i don't feel like it, I'd do it. Just one. One a day. One single extra thing to go out of my way and say "I am doing this for myself, so I can learn to love myself, and when I love myself, I will want to improve and fix myself better, and I can hopefully can be a good person once I love myself enough.".

Sometimes, it's just, spray some perfume before you go to sleep so you smell nice, or, light a candle in your room, or, sit down with ur cats.

I think will do the same with this book. Do one extra thing to make myself happy each day

This book really does reminds me of that time in my life, and how hard it was to just learn to be happy and to love myself again, then to figure out how much love is too much or not enough. I had to unlearn and relearn so much back then, that was only love, I had to relearn sadness, anger, fear, everything I had to learn to be human and it broke me, it took so much out of me just to function. Everyday I was trying and it never seemed enough.

I am still in the process of learning. This book, although I don't think I really need it right now, helps.

Maybe, I should make my own version called Love Yourself and just do this same concept but with a list of stuff I wrote back the psychiatric ward 🤣

Tbh, it's a very simple book. I think I just like it a lot cause it reminds me of how hard it was to be happy just a few years ago, how much I tried, and that I still am.

That I still will.
Profile Image for Lisa.
1 review
March 29, 2020
Very short, quick read. Motivating, with great ideas and reminders of ways to make yourself happy + very cute and simple style illustrations. I saw this book for sale in a gift shop in Old Sac a month or so ago and ended up buying it on Amazon a few days later because it was so cute and cheery. It's something you should probably reread/go through every few months.
Profile Image for Marcie.
726 reviews
June 11, 2019
Monica Sheehan's Be Happy is a compact reminder to choose happiness and to practice gratitude. I received Ms. Sheehan's little book as a birthday present, and I value its selection for me. Its a great little pick-me-up for those "in a funk" days.
7,002 reviews83 followers
November 19, 2019
Little motivation thoughts in one short sentence accompany with a minimalist but pretty drawing. Simple enough, but good enough as well. The kind of book where you go back from time to time, reading random pages. I like it!
Profile Image for Thasvini Muraly.
31 reviews43 followers
April 6, 2024
Be Happy by Monica Sheehan is such a gem! I bought this book for my partner and we ended up reading it together in one sitting. We both loved the book especially its beautiful yet simple illustration.
Profile Image for Dido.
321 reviews18 followers
October 17, 2017
Frases motivadoras, dibujos sencillos. Prometía hacerme más feliz, estoy que igual que antes de empezarlo 😂
Profile Image for siso.sofy.
254 reviews4 followers
November 11, 2020
I hope this cute book count as a read. At least it makes me smile and reflect.
Profile Image for Tasya Els.
3 reviews
September 2, 2022
A really quick reading, but very heartwarming♡
I'm not gonna review a lot about this book. It's just too special for me. Glad I found you at the BBW Books🥹
Profile Image for Cassandra Sawali.
1 review
April 7, 2024
It’s a lovely book ti carry around. Either as a physical book or digital. To keep as a reminder of how and why you should choose to be happy
Profile Image for Nataly Dybens.
56 reviews2 followers
December 26, 2016
I bought myself this book back in high school when I was depressed. Today I had to go through my things at my childhood home as it will eventually go up for sale. I re-found this book, I forgot I had annotated it a bit, and that brought me back a smile. It was my attempt to relate things the book said to my life and things to do. Reinforce the happiness. I reread this book today because recently a friend reached out to me and confessed he had been depressed for the last few months; I plan to pass it onto him. I love the simplicity in this book, and i didn't feel judged for my unhappiness when reading it, I felt supported to overcome it. I definitely think this book is good for these situations and also just a fun table book.
Profile Image for Barbara.
979 reviews10 followers
November 28, 2014
I discovered this awesome little book while researching for a lesson on happiness to use with my ESL conversation class. I first found videos of the book on Youtube, which I shared with my class. Then I searched for the actual book and purchased several copies for myself and to share with friends. All who have received it have loved it. It’s a small book filled with line drawings and short sayings to motivate and inspire. I keep it by my bed and have reread it on several “gray” days. It’s a short, but inspirational read and a great gift.
156 reviews3 followers
February 7, 2017
As a coach, love this book to add to conversations with teachers and students about finding what makes you happy and joyful learning.
Profile Image for Donna.
1,376 reviews
November 26, 2008
The little cartoons are wonderful. I need to carry this little book on my person. It just reminds you about a lot of things we need to be reminded of like for instance: Be Kind. A no brainer, but heck we sometimes just need to be reminded. The end.
Profile Image for Kristin.
9 reviews1 follower
January 4, 2016
This is a darling little nugget of a book that I keep on my night stand.
I've read it in some really dark times during my college years, and just having this nearby is a good reminder not to take everything in life so seriously.
Profile Image for Jocelin.
2,026 reviews47 followers
January 27, 2011
It gave some good insights and they were easy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews

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