Joy

June 11, 2018
Fern’s elderly Nanna doesn’t smile anymore. She’s listless and withdrawn, and her once-cheery home now feels gray and dusty. Mom doesn’t know what’s wrong: “It’s like the joy has gone out of her life,” she tells Fern. Once Fern understands what “joy” means (“Like when we all dance after dinner?”), she determines to capture some at the local park—a puppy’s bounce in a box, a baby’s giggles in a can, sun sparkles in a saucepan—and take it all to her grandmother. But joy isn’t quite so easily given, or is it? While Nanna does perk up considerably at the end, her initial condition seems so serious that the speedy transformation may leave readers wondering what sent her into a tailspin in the first place. But newcomer Follath’s sweet, heart-on-her-sleeve pictures, Fern’s sense of agency, and the story’s core conceit—that you can’t package joy—may strike a chord with readers. Ages 3–6.

September 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-Fern loves Nanna and when it seems that the joy has gone out of her grandmother's life, she decides to capture some and bring it back to her. Heading to the park with her joy-catching kit, Fern experiences several moments where she feels "the whoosh of joy" but finds it impossible to capture. Returning home empty-handed, Fern tells her grandmother of her failed attempts. Upon hearing her adventures, Nanna surprises the child with "the biggest, widest whoosh! of a smile" Fern has ever seen. The story satisfies at this point but continues to an idealistic conclusion. The artwork, done in ink, pencils, watercolor, and digital is captivating. Uncomplicated images of Fern aptly convey her wide range of emotions. The contrast between Nanna's moods is at one point quite pronounced, but Fern's exploits are smile-inducing, with bright rivers of color expressing Fern's delightful joy. VERDICT Cheery illustrations enhance this uplifting story about a young girl and her grandmother.-Gaye Hinchliff, King County Library System, WA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2018
Fern loves Nanna's butterfly cakes, her mantelpiece mice, her white cat, Snowball, and most of all, she loves Nanna. But recently, Nanna has become sad, and she's stopped baking and dusting. Even Snowball seems listless. Mom can't explain Nanna's sadness, simply saying, "It's like the joy has gone out of her life." Understanding joy as the feeling she gets when she goes "whooshing down a slide," Fern takes every container she can find to the park to catch some "whooosh!" for Nanna. When she sees a cute puppy, Fern feels a whooosh! but can't catch it in her cardboard box. Fern gets the same feeling from a laughing baby, she but can't catch it with her decorated coffee can, nor can her butterfly net catch the shimmer of sunlight on water. Fern walks home with heavy feet. Nanna asks her what's wrong, and Fern tells her all that she saw and shares her disappointment at failing to catch a whooosh! for Nanna--which prompts a glowing "whooosh! of a smile" from Nanna. The repetition and patterning in Averiss' text are appealing, and Fern's emotions and concern will be familiar to many children. Follath's delicate illustrations make the whooosh! visual as a green, sparkly swoosh. While it's good to see Fern's can-do attitude, her easy success belies the hard work that is recovery from depression. Fern and her family present white; Nanna uses a wheelchair.Heartwarming. (Picture book. 3-7)

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