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Where Is My Smile?
A beautifully illustrated picture book about mental health for young readers. Where Is My Smile? is the story of a little boy who can’t find his smile anywhere. He searches and searches, but it’s nowhere to be found. Where could his smile be? This delightful picture book is perfect as a bedtime story, and to help little children understand that it’s okay to be sad sometimes, but we can always find our way through it. Where Is My Smile? is the first in a new series of picture books from Natalie Reeves Billing focused on children’s mental health.
32 pages, Paperback
Published July 14, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 4, 2022
*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the authors, Tiny Tree Books and Kelly Lacey of Love Books Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This is a very simple, repetitive story, which is an ideal way to discuss feelings of sadness with young children in a way that they can understand and relate to.
The little boy repeats ‘Where is my smile?’ on every page, as he wanders around his house searching for it under beds and in the dog’s fur. While looking, he passes the other members of his family – mum, new baby, sister, dad and the dog – but they are all absorbed in their own stresses and don’t notice his predicament… until he finally breaks the ice and tells them what is wrong directly!
It is quite sad to see him becoming more distressed as the story goes, but the happy ending proves to him, and to little readers who may be feeling the same, that those feelings of sadness don’t last forever, especially if you share them with people who love you.
Minishine (9) was very interested in the first-person narration of the story, and in discussing ideas for how you can help yourself or find help when you feel sad, but Babybows (6) really engaged with the main character and his woes and became quite upset at his struggle and then was elated at the happy ending! So, I would say this book would be ideal for his age and younger, as a stepping stone to discussing things like how change might make us feel, or how everyone sometimes has feelings of sadness.
Here is what my mini-reviewers had to say:
Minishine: I love the pictures in this book! I think the little boy is funny because he needs to think thoughts that are more reasonable – there are no frown monsters! When you feel sad you should do something to make you feel happy, like play with your dog, or hug your family, or play with your toys or listen to your favourite song. I liked the older sister and the baby and the dog best, and I really wish I knew what all their names are?
Me: They don’t really have names. It’s a ‘first-person’ story so the little boy is telling it as ‘I did this; I felt this.’
Minishine [relentlessly]: I bet the baby would have a really sweet name though! It looks so sweet! And I wonder if the older sister has a name like me or my friends?!
Babybows: He doesn’t need a name because he is you when you are reading the book. And so it was really good but kind of sad too. The little boy is cute and he was feeling sad cos he lost his smile, cos everyone was sad, I think cos of the baby, cos babies are loud and have smelly nappies. But then it is happy at the end and I have a hat like his! I think you should tell your grown-ups if you feel sad cos they might make you laugh. Or your sister, maybe, if she’s not the one making you feel sad…! 😉
Minishine: Hey!!!
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
This is a very simple, repetitive story, which is an ideal way to discuss feelings of sadness with young children in a way that they can understand and relate to.
The little boy repeats ‘Where is my smile?’ on every page, as he wanders around his house searching for it under beds and in the dog’s fur. While looking, he passes the other members of his family – mum, new baby, sister, dad and the dog – but they are all absorbed in their own stresses and don’t notice his predicament… until he finally breaks the ice and tells them what is wrong directly!
It is quite sad to see him becoming more distressed as the story goes, but the happy ending proves to him, and to little readers who may be feeling the same, that those feelings of sadness don’t last forever, especially if you share them with people who love you.
Minishine (9) was very interested in the first-person narration of the story, and in discussing ideas for how you can help yourself or find help when you feel sad, but Babybows (6) really engaged with the main character and his woes and became quite upset at his struggle and then was elated at the happy ending! So, I would say this book would be ideal for his age and younger, as a stepping stone to discussing things like how change might make us feel, or how everyone sometimes has feelings of sadness.
Here is what my mini-reviewers had to say:
Minishine: I love the pictures in this book! I think the little boy is funny because he needs to think thoughts that are more reasonable – there are no frown monsters! When you feel sad you should do something to make you feel happy, like play with your dog, or hug your family, or play with your toys or listen to your favourite song. I liked the older sister and the baby and the dog best, and I really wish I knew what all their names are?
Me: They don’t really have names. It’s a ‘first-person’ story so the little boy is telling it as ‘I did this; I felt this.’
Minishine [relentlessly]: I bet the baby would have a really sweet name though! It looks so sweet! And I wonder if the older sister has a name like me or my friends?!
Babybows: He doesn’t need a name because he is you when you are reading the book. And so it was really good but kind of sad too. The little boy is cute and he was feeling sad cos he lost his smile, cos everyone was sad, I think cos of the baby, cos babies are loud and have smelly nappies. But then it is happy at the end and I have a hat like his! I think you should tell your grown-ups if you feel sad cos they might make you laugh. Or your sister, maybe, if she’s not the one making you feel sad…! 😉
Minishine: Hey!!!
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
September 11, 2022
‘THERE is my smile! It’s in my mum’s eyes and the sunny blue skies. It’s here in my chest, besting under my vest. It’s wrapping around me. My smile has found me. So love is a smile!’
My 7 year old devoured this as soon as it landed in our letterbox! She didn’t even give me a chance to sit down with her, she was that excited! We sat down together last night to read it again, and it is such a lovely little story about how love and happiness! The pictures are beautiful and the story has such a beautiful message! It’s the perfect picture book to open up conversations about your feelings and how to find happiness in the little things! Which in this day and age is a very important message to give to your little ones ❤️
My 7 year old devoured this as soon as it landed in our letterbox! She didn’t even give me a chance to sit down with her, she was that excited! We sat down together last night to read it again, and it is such a lovely little story about how love and happiness! The pictures are beautiful and the story has such a beautiful message! It’s the perfect picture book to open up conversations about your feelings and how to find happiness in the little things! Which in this day and age is a very important message to give to your little ones ❤️
September 25, 2022
Where is my Smile? Is a beautifully illustrated story. The pictures really help to share the message. The story itself is told in simple relatable rhyming language. It is a lovely starting point to have some good discussions about mental health and depression. I will be adding it into my school planning in order to open conversations with my KS1 students.
Head over to my blog to read my full review of this book.
Head over to my blog to read my full review of this book.
October 3, 2022
This book is a great conversation starter between adults and young children. It aims to help us remember and recognise the signs of sadness in others. It uses the perspective of the young child searching for his smile. It is a lovely insight into the mind of a child and how with love, we can open up our hearts and perhaps find our smile again.
My children enjoyed this story and it will be a great addition to my childminding Calm Corner and I know it will be read many times.
My children enjoyed this story and it will be a great addition to my childminding Calm Corner and I know it will be read many times.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews