Happy!

by Pharrell Williams

Grammy Award winner Pharrell Williams's super-hit song “Happy” is now a picture bookNominated for an Academy Award in 2014, “Happy” hit number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 list, and has topped the charts in more than seventy-five countries worldwide. Now Pharrell Williams brings his beloved song to the youngest of readers in photographs of children across cultures celebrating what it means to be happy. All the exuberance of the song pulses from these vibrant photographs of excited, happy kids. This is a picture book full of memorable, precious childhood moments that will move readers in the same way they were moved by the song.“Happy” has had the world dancing ever since it first hit the airwaves, and now the irresistibly cheerful tune will come to life on the page with Pharrell Williams’s very first picture book! A keepsake and true classic in the making.

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Childrens, Emotion, Storytime, Fiction, Poetry

Hardcover

First published October 6, 2015

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't know what I expected...

The entire book was based on Happy - that hit 2014 song by Pharell Williams from Despicable Me 2. Honestly, as fun as this book was...it kinda felt like a cash grab.

The only text was the song lyrics accompanied by photos of smiling kids. They were doing things tangentially related to the song but mostly smiling and jumping.

It was cute and I do like how the kids featured were different sizes, genders, ages and races. I did notice that the kids were a bit wooden in their posing (think: stock-photo or Kohls' catalogue) but for the most part, they seemed genuinely, well, happy.

At the end of the book, the kids posed with the singer with a message for adults typed on the side (something about doing what makes you happy yadda yadda).

What a cool thing for those kids to do at such a young age though! Though good luck getting this song out of your head!

The 2018 ABC Challenge - H

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[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful children's book to the song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. We enjoyed the photography with all the different children playing, dancing, and singing. We love the message it sends, especially the note from the author in the back. A very positive book indeed. Glad to have it.

[Jocelin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute! Loved the fact that there were pictures of actual kids in the book. I thought the acknowledgement at the end was really sweet. This is a great song to get your day started. I know that it has been played to death on the radio; its still a great one. You still can't help but clap to it. At times I do feel like a room without a roof. :-)

[Holly Letson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admit it: You didn't just read this book. You sang the words as you read them. This song is just that catchy. It will now stay stuck in your head for days.

Hear the song here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv...

[Bluebelle-the-Inquisitive (Catherine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It might seem crazy what I am 'bout to say
Sunshine she's here, you can take a break

I have a picture story format for book reviews but it doesn't feel right to use it for this. This doesn't have illustrations it uses photography of real smiling children to create something of visualisations of the lyrics. So we get astronauts, a judge, a band during the chorus and lots of dancing. It really is a fantastic way to use the lyrics. It's bright, colourful and joyful. Some acknowledgements that need to be made, the photography was done by Amanda Pratt. Props by Andi Burnett Without these two elements the book would not be what it is their valuable input.

The book is dedicated to Rocket, Pharrell Williams' now 14-year-old son (born 2008), he is shown in the book at least once and probably more than that. Williams asks those who read it to become Happiness Helpers, people who spread happiness and smiles in the world. It is a good message to leave to book with, even if younglings are unlikely to read that bit. It's a book I recommend for libraries and schools, it's a great choice for storytime.

A representative gif:

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice companion for the song, suitable for sharing at storytime. I wish that the photographer got a little more credit, though. The photos are fun, lively and multicultural. It sort of reminded me of some of Nina Crews' work (like The Neighborhood Mother Goose).

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, it's the song, with adorable photo plus cutout illustrations. I think I need this for my library.

[Afriendlylibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love, love, love this book. Anyone who knows me knows that I love the song, so when the book was published I had to get it in my hot little hands, and I am so glad I did. The photographs in this book are amazing. They feature bright, colorful, joyful young people diverse in age, size, and ethnicity. Because I had fun reading this book, I am an official Happy Helper! My duty as a Happy Helper is to pass this book along and spread happiness. YAY!

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dear Pharrell,

I love your song and I love your book design, but, dude, your lyrics don't make any sense when you see them in big bold print on the page. I applaud your effort, but this one is a pass for me.

All the best,
L.
<3

[Ariza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super awesome song turned into a book by Pharrell Williams. Very bright and happy book with a great message.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Popular song lyrics paired with cool kids artfully photographed. Very nice interpretation of the peppy earworm.

[Chinook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and the girls enjoy books they can sing to before bed.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just borrowed this from the library because I wanted to see how cute it was, yes it’s adorable. That’s all that matters!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it was funny

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This visual representation of the song by the same name is wonderful! But what really struck me was the letter from Pharrell at the end of the book. Here is my favorite paragraph,
"How do you feel when you make someone smile? It's the best feeling ever, right? I believe it's everyone's responsibility to bring more laughter into the world. Use your imagination to figure out new ways to make others smile. Let's never forget that happiness is contagious! There isn't a day that goes by where I don't appreciate the beauty of a smile. It's pretty obvious every human being on the planet needs to feel happy. Don't you agree?"
I love this sentiment and I couldn't agree more!

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to change things up today with my daily read aloud and when I saw this book, I decided to put it to the music and see what the response would be. In some of my classes, students were clapping, dancing and having an all-round good time, especially for a Monday morning. In those classes, it really set a great tone for the week. In other classes, students' opinion of the song or the situation as it was presented, got in the way of the moment. I don't think I will use this one again, but I'm "happy" that I gave it a try.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyrics to Pharrell William’s 2014 hit song, Happy are paired with gorgeous photographs of children. The kids are adorable and the whole thing is laid out beautifully! Anyone who has heard this song… is there anyone who hasn’t… can’t help but sing the words instead of read them. And of course, you’ll find yourself clapping along! I think this would be fun to listen to and turn the pages as you go along. http://julianaleewriter.com/books-ali...

[Ebster Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How do you feel when you make someone smile? It's the best feeling ever, right?"

This song is my nephew's earworm, so a lot of this book (with the pictures of kids playing and having fun) reminded me of him.

Also nice to read the lyrics of the song, I didn't know some of the lines.

[Michael Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The photos were fun and all...but it felt more like a cash grab then an actual picture book. I'm sure they had fun making it, but I wouldn't really invest in it when there are so many other great picture books with the same message behind it.

[Mort's Kids · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know how people generally say the book is better than the movie?
They're not talking about "The Godfather" of "Fight Club", that's for sure.
They're also not talking about "Happy" by Pharrell.

Also: surprisingly hard to read along to.

[Marissa Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for a singing story time, featuring happy-faced kids of all skin tones.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of pictures of very cute, very happy children. The text is just the song lyrics and they don't hold up well for reading out loud. This one was a money grab and that's about it.

[Ambur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww! This book was so adorable. The pictures perfectly matched the lyrics, and I couldn't help but sing along with this "Happy" tune! :D

[Sarah Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me the adult this photo magic version of Pharrell's song feels a bit lame, but my toddler LOVES reading it and listening to the song. The cool outfits on the kids really capture her.

[SL · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book itself is visually pleasing but...it's just the song lyrics and pictures of happy kids dancing around. Cute, but I'm like what was the point?

Overall impression: ‾\_(ツ)_/‾

[Mama Bibliosoph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether your child knows this Pharrell Williams hit from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack, from your workout playlist, or even if this will be their introduction to it, listening to the song while reading HAPPY! is likely to be a lot of fun.

The book was almost universally panned in reviews for translating from song lyrics to page oddly. And it's true, the lyrics make no sense on their own if they are "read." I also think it would be near impossible for a parent to sing this book and bring it to life. The backup vocalists sing critical lines and the instrumentation provides a lot of the energy. But the critics haven't seemed to consider what I think is obvious: this book was meant to be looked at while listening to the recorded song.

The realistic photographs of diverse children playing imaginatively with homemade props and costumes are fabulous models for how to play. The secret here is to embrace the multi-sensory approach. Crank up the volume. Bust a move. Be happy.

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I review books for children from the perspective of a parent of kids with autism. The review above is part of a longer post on books about singalong books: https://www.lineupthebooks.com/40-sin...

[Jordyn]

Awards- the book itself- none the song however was nominated for an Acadamy Award and written by Grammy winner Pharrell Williams
Grades- all elementary grades
Summary- This is a picture-book version of Pharrell Williams' very popular song "Happy." The pages are filled with the lyrics to the song as well as children from all cultures and backrounds.
Review- I love this children's book! It is so fun and a song that most children know well!
In class uses- This is the perfect book for a brain break. The kids will love it and I am sure even sing along with it. It is also a good book for a lesson about feelings and/ music.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hard to call this a celebrity author or a celebrity picture because it’s the song by a singer put in picture of a format. It’s fine. The song was a hit for multiple years with the Happy Feet movie and yes this book was checked out like crazy. Is there still place for it? Yes… but I have a feeling this is one that when Library copies fall apart, they will not be replaced. I do like that they use real pictures in the book that are set to a theme, and it all goes well together. And I think my favorite thing of this book is the letter from Pharrell to the kids in the back. I think Pharrell should try to really write a picture book instead of just putting his songs in page format.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book for fans of the song "Happy" - it pairs song lyrics with photos of children playing with awesome cardboard and aluminum foil creations.

The kids and I sang the book and admired the amazing cardboard creations.

If you don't know the song (or if you dislike the song) then I'm not sure this book would be as fun. It isn't really a story, just song lyrics.

Kids will probably like looking at the photos and the cardboard toys.

The message about being happy and spreading happiness and smiles is a good one, that almost everyone can appreciate.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS!
It's so cool!
Photos of young children- engaged in happiness, singing his song. The text is crazy and all over the place, illustrations are creative and imaginative. Couldn't recommend any higher if possible. Buy this and share it. Lends itself to a group read along- fosters independent reading and self-confidence with young children. Just amazing. Well done. Kudos Pharrell. The closing letter... goodness.... icing on the cake. As a teacher, LOVE seeing letters- LOVED this ending- offers a suggestion to write to the author and express gratitude and thanks. LOVE IT.