The Happy Day

by Ruth Krauss, Marc Simont (Illustrator)

The woodland animals awake from their deep winter's sleep to discover the first sign of spring'a flower blooming in the snow. 1950 Caldecott Honor Book

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Nature, Classics, School

36 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

Ruth Ida Krauss was an American writer of children's books, including The Carrot Seed, and of theatrical poems for adult readers.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is beautiful. It looks like pencil drawings. There is an awful lot of running and sniffing and sniffing and sniffing. The little animals are cute. There is not much story here although the end is a nice surprise.

The kids gave this 3 stars too.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The animals awake from their winter sleep. They smell something in the air, it is... yes, you guessed it, spring

Beautiful illustrations and a wonderful sense of anticipation.

Read on openlibrary.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the sleeping animals sense a change in the air. They emerge from their burrows, and all run to see . . . a special surprise that waits for them in the snow.



You-know-what can't be too far behind.

A joyous tale with sweet illustrations by Marc Simont.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why this book won the Caldecott medal in 1950. The book is enchanting in a very simple way. It has delightful black and white illustrations.

[Crista Goluch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caldecott Honor - 1950
The use of color is very important to this story. The cover is a very bold shade of yellow. In the middle is a “carved out” black and white image of animals at play. Artist begins showing all of the animals, hidden in the snowy landscape, from smallest to largest. I like how each animal is represented equally and with their own two-page layout. There is no way of knowing which animal the artist prefers. In the conclusion of the story all of the animals are focused around the only piece of color in the whole book, and that is the first yellow flower of spring. The theme of the book is the arrival of spring, which the reader interprets from the illustrations, rather than reading the text.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two kinds of winter: the nostalgic winter, in which Christmas lights twinkle in the snow and everyone drinks hot chocolate around a fireplace, and real winter, in which snow is yellow and brown, commutes to work are dangerous nightmares, and everyone's noses and toes freeze off. The Happy Day perfectly channels the feelings of joy the sufferers of real winter have when the first flowers of spring starts to bloom. "They stop," Krauss writes in perfect picture book prose poetry. "They laugh. They laugh. They dance." Simont's monochrome winter is stark and lovely, with that one perfect bit of spring color at the end that creates such understandable happiness; he definitely deserved the 1950 Caldecott Honor (which also, interestingly, went to Bartholomew and the Oobleck that year!).

[Luann · Rating 2 out of 5]

With its black and white illustrations, I thought this one was just okay. It would work for a storytime on hibernation or spring, but there are many better books out there. Also, I had a question about the snails. Do they really hibernate? Sniff? Run?? They certainly wouldn't be able to keep up with squirrels, groundhogs, field mice, and bears! I do like the ending with its one touch of color. 2.5 stars.

[Maria Rowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

• 1950 Caldecott Honor Book •

I want to like this for some reason, but it kind of creeps me out. The illustrations with all the snails in the trees especially disturbs me. The ending is really abrupt, and it's kind of weird all these animals would come out of hibernation while it’s still snowing. Just too brief, too repetitive and kind of boring. I like the yellow flower though.

Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is an easy book and one that the kids seem to enjoy. I just think it stops too abruptly.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our read aloud for this week is A Tree is Nice illustrated by Marc Simony so it brought a desire to see more of his other work especially when I came to understand that he passed away earlier this summer.

This is a 99% black and white book with fuzzy illustrations that have plenty of things to stare at and study for little minds. There is lots of opportunity to discuss sequence and patterns. As well as building anticipation. This is for the season change of winter to spring.

Tipton Co. Lib. Season-Winter. Season-Spring. Sequences. Award Winners. wishlist

[Magila · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

I'm sorry, but this will go down in history with Anne Frank as one of the more disappointing classic books I have ever read. It's ok, but just not up to par with many other picture books that are now available. The challenge is with publishing costs having decreased, and everyone feeling they can make a children's book better than the next person, this book just doesn't seem to stand the strain of time.

Eh. I do love animals though.

[Christina Fonner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rated this book so low because there wasn't really an ending to it. All it was involving a few animals sniffing, running, and stopping for something which came out to be a flower growing out of the snow. Yes the winter was there and it meant for the animals that spring was coming, most likely. But there was no clarification of what the animals were thinking, it just ended with them laughing. I wasn't interested and disappointed that there was nothing after the flower page.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Very* young me would have enjoyed this back in the day. Now there's too much bright competition. Kids today, who read books on tablets and don't know enough to put on a sweater when it's cold, will think this boring, even though what it is, actually, is subtle & true. Maybe some lucky child will be raised in a nature-conscious family and be able to empathize with the excitement of the first flower of spring.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though my favorite Ruth Krauss books are those illustrated by Maurice Sendak, I do have a soft spot for the animals in this book. The front cover really doesn’t do justice to the cuteness - or the realism - of the animals inside. I love the chaotic movement on each page, and how it increases as excitement builds. And the ending is very sweet, just right for toddlers and preschoolers.

[Devon · Rating 1 out of 5]

My son just brought this book home and as we were reading it together my eyes began to glaze over, it was so mind numbingly boring. I never rate children's books but I felt that this one was so bad it warranted an exception.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Older Caldecott honor book. Sure it's okay. But it's only okay. Some of the art is good, but it's black and white and repetitive. And the writing is lame and repetitive. It ends well but not well enough.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5* art (love that the book is entirely in black and white except for the one yellow flower at the end)
3* story (but the artwork covers for it)

[Patricia Storms · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favourites. As far as I'm concerned this is as close to picture book perfection as one can get.

[SamZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

1950 Caldecott Honor. Favorite Illustration: the page with all the little snails curled up and asleep in the tree.
Cute, simple little story about animals in winter.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Krauss tells the magical yet simple story of animals awaking from hibernation in a snowy forest. There are bears; there are snails; there are rabbits… It exemplifies each animal’s first look and wonder at the world around them after weeks of sleep and isolation… Although the animals are unique, they all find great and unexpected joy when awaking. Suddenly the animals begin their dash to an unknown event or object that the author keeps a secret until the very end…

I would highly recommend this text as an independent read for K-2, but I think it can be used in grades 3-5 as a base for a writing lesson. There are great uses of literary elements (repetition, diction) in this text which cue my desire to use it as a segway into Language Arts. There is also a social-emotional lesson to be learned in this book. Little joys are all around you, and it is important to be aware of this so you do not miss them. Sometimes happiness can be found in unexpected, underrated acts, events, or objects. We must appreciate nature as it bears many of these gifts. Although it may not seem like much to an outsider, readers may learn to value the ‘little things’ in life. There is also great potential for a follow up activity - individuals may write about a little treasure of their own.

Part of the reason I adore this book is the message that the author conveys through these animals. As best described by The Kirkus Reviews, “this book is as fresh as the first day or spring, a lovely book with enchanting pictures. In addition, this book was also awarded the Caldecott honor.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

We borrowed this book as part of a kit from our library, with this paperback book and an audiocassette narrated by John Cunningham. I first heard the book twice as we drove in the car, as our girls followed along with the book. I wasn't overly impressed and it sounded like a Fun With Dick and Jane kind of story. But later, I saw the black and white illustrations that accompany the story and I was won over. Marc Simont is a favorite from the Nate The Great stories and The Stray Dog and he doesn't disappoint here. The pictures of the animals hibernating is sweet and also educational. And the images of them running and dancing and frolicking are fun, too. Overall, the narrative is just okay, but we really liked the illustrations.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're finishing up our six weeks of "A Caldecott Cacophony" story times, and as tomorrow is Groundhog's Day what better theme to celebrate than "Shapes & Shadows"? I happen to love this particular story because... it's so full of energy and contrasts. It informs about forest creatures that hibernate (including snails! who woulda' thunk?)and ends with a happy surprise.

We do story times with performer pairs (on good days), which means, either we can both hold up the book and trade off narrating the text OR one performer does the reading and the other performer leads the group doing actions. If the action is "sleeping" tuck your head to the side and use your hands as a pillow, and maybe make snoring sounds. If the action is "snowing" lift hands high over head and wiggle fingers as hands are lowered. If the action is "sniffing" perk up your head and sniff. If the action is "running" pat legs with hands, imitating a running motion and sound.

Whatever you do, enjoy yourself. That's the whole point of this delightful book.

[Cecilia Cava · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reviewing the Spanish version of this book as that's the version our family has read.

This is another case of book that chose us. My son is learning to read in Spanish as the result of us admitting him into an Immersion program. So good children's books in Spanish are hard to find ... especially books in Spanish at my reading level (about first grade??)

We enjoyed this book a lot over dinner and anytime a family can make a memory like that, it means a lot. I can see why it won an award. I appreciate the meaning of the black and white illustrations with the color pop at the end. Knowing this book is so old, I almost feel it was ahead of its time.

And yes, my favorite animals are the snails. I enjoyed this book so much, I tracked down a used copy online to purchase. This book first found us through a loaning library in my younger child's preschool class. Lucky me that this book found us. One of my favorite Spanish discoveries.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Caldecott Award Honor book...

My 2 year old granddaughter and I enjoyed taking our time reading and looking through this very simple book. Each page has a short sentence about a wildlife animal. It explains the various animals 'sleeping' in the ground, trees, caves, etc. But then their eyes open and they sniff, then they all smell, then they all run and then dance a happy dance because after the snow fell and time has went by a solid lonely yellow flower brings them the hope of Spring.

Illustrations are black and white except at the end the yellow flower to bring emphasis on it. Wonderfully done. And repeated words through out the story would make it easy for a beginning reader to read. They would be proud of themselves to read at least part of this book on their own as they learn of wilderness animals during the winter.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reminded me of one of my favorite older picture books: Play with Me. When my children were younger, it was hard to find quiet books--not boring books, mind you, but ones that invited a young child to really look at the book, to take their time, to not be bombarded with overly bold/silly illustrations and lots of visual clutter. Books with a perfect ending, lots of subtle detail in the illustrations, a more limited palette. And this one has it all. Lovely.

Don't get me wrong--there's plenty of action in this story, but it's not "in your face." It's as a pace and distance that young children will enjoy.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem of a book. With black and white illustrations, the simple text describes what several animals are doing in winter....the snow is falling and mice, squirrels, bears, snails and ground hogs are all sleeping. Then they all begin to wake up, smell the air and move out of their dens, nests and burrows - until they stop for something that makes them very happy...the reader finally finds out what it is - in the only bright splash of color in the book. My storytime audience let out an "ahhh" when we reached that point. The reader can't help but smile! This is a perfect book to read at the end of a long winter!

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of the illustrations in this book were black and white except for a yellow flower on the last page. I really liked how the author showed the animal’s journey individually and as a whole by showing the light at the end with a yellow flower. You were really able to see detail in the pictures and know what the story was about with only looking at the pictures and not reading the words. This would be an excellent book for young children because you could help them with animal identification and using their imagination of what will happen with only looking at the pictures.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did anyone else feel that after so much build-up that this book ends a little abruptly?

I love the illustrations and honestly was set to give this book five stars just for that. I liked that the snails sniffed in their shells. I liked that everyone ran together and delightful disarray all over the pages. I even liked where the story was going. I didn't like that it crashed to a halt when we got there and there seemed nothing more to say, when there could have been a whole lot more to say.

Four stars for the illustrations. I would have given 3 on the text. Still, a fun book to read.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The animals are all enjoying their winter's nap, when one by one they suddenly are woken by a change.

This is one of those picture books that stands the years quite well. The text is simple and repetitive for little ones to catch on easily, and the mystery is building as you go along prompting predictions. Why are all the animals waking up and rushing out? There's one bright yellow flower that has bloomed. It's hard to go wrong with text by Kraus and illustrations by Simont; they make an all-star team.

[McKenna Banks · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Happy Day is a fiction picture book by Ruth Krauss. It is about all different kinds of woodland animals sleeping in their holes in the winter. Slowly, all the animals wake up and sniff the warming air. They all begin to climb out of their holes all to find a brand new spring flower peeping through the snow. Spring is coming!

I enjoyed this book for its simplicity. I also liked how it relates to animals hibernating and spring coming.

I could use this book as a beginner reading book due to its simplicity or to teach on hibernation and the changing of seasons.