My Heart is Laughing

August 15, 2014
A forthright early chapter book about resilience. From the author-illustrator team that created My Happy Life (2013), this Swedish import also features Dani and her best friend, Ella. Dani still misses Ella, who has moved away, and Dani won't let anyone sit at Ella's desk just in case she comes back. Although her teacher tells her Ella is not coming back, Dani is "not one to give up hope." At lunchtime, thinking Dani needs to make new friends, her teacher seats her between two other girls, Vicky and Mickey, who proceed to bully and pinch Dani. In self-defense, Dani squirts them with sauce, getting some on the teacher too. Appalled, she runs home, where her father confronts her. All is sorted out in an age-appropriate way (the villains refuse to apologize; Dani tells them she forgives them anyway), and Dani continues to choose an optimistic view of life-buoyed by the unexpected appearance of Ella (for just one day). Lagercrantz writes an honest tale about the challenges of life, allowing her protagonist to feel sadness, confusion and loss as well as giving her agency in choosing joy. Eriksson's pen-and-ink illustrations, with their expressive body language, expertly bring the text to life. This deeply respectful book validates and celebrates the daily challenges of being a child in today's world. (Fiction. 5-8)

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Starred review from August 1, 2014

Gr 1-3-This charming follow up to My Happy Life (Gecko, 2013) brings back eternal optimist Dani as she navigates through the ups and downs of daily life. Wanting to escape any sorrowful happenings in her world, Dani chooses to view her life through somewhat rose-colored glasses. When reality unravels her sunny disposition in the form of bullying, Dani longs to be with her best friend, Ella, who moved away in the first installment of the series. Dani's close relationship with her father grows as he helps her navigate tricky relationships at school and at home. Eriksson's plentiful black-and-white line drawings expressively show joy and distress and perfectly complement the story. Lagercrantz has the ability to develop her characters fully, while keeping the story approachable for young readers just wanting to tackle chapter books. Genuine feelings such as humor, honesty, and heartbreak will leave readers yearning for Dani to return once again.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 1, 2014
Grades K-2 *Starred Review* Hurt feelings and jealousy on the playground lead two of Dani's classmates to pinch her arms repeatedly at the lunch table. When quiet Dani retaliates by squirting her tormentors with a squeeze bottle of sauce, she misses her second target, splattering the teacher instead. Upset, Dani runs home, where her father finds her locked in her room and inconsolable. When they both calm down, he discovers the bruises on her arms and, back at school, shows them to the teacher, who sets things straight. Translated from the Swedish and beautifully illustrated with Eriksson's expressive, crosshatched ink drawings, the story portrays hard truths about children's lives, while offering a satisfying narrative in which bullies are recognized for what they are and the main character finds the grace to forgive them. Like My Happy Life (2013), the previous book about Dani, this simple narrative may have been written and illustrated in Sweden, but its emotionally resonant story is universal. When Dani is upset, Lagercrantz portrays her state of mind in simple words and precise imagery: Thoughts flew around her head like startled birds, not knowing where to land. Keep this volume in mind as an accessible chapter book for younger children and a riveting read-aloud choice for the classroom.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)