{"product_id":"the-happiness-of-a-dog-with-a-ball-in-its-mouth-9781592703517","title":"The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in Its Mouth","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003eBest Children's Book of 2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e High-Concept Picture Book for Children\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center) \u003ci\u003eChoices\u003c\/i\u003e Best Children's Book, 2022\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIs there any creature in the world happier than a dog with a ball in its mouth? Maybe a cat in the sun? Or a kid eating ice cream? This gentle book, with its soft and evocative colored pencil illustrations, is philosophical in its approach to the millions of forms that happiness can take, as well as the contrasting disappointments and sorrows that we encounter as we navigate our lives.\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStarting from the happiness of waking up into a brand-new day, the book goes on to explore the kinds of relationships and contrasts that play out between our feelings and experiences. These contrasts play out beautifully across the page from left to right, and across a couple of long gatefold pages. Whether it's the nervousness of a beginning paired with the happiness of a middle; the indignity of a cut against the happiness of a scab; the boredom of nothing to do contrasted with the happiness of nothing to do; or the divide of mine against the happiness of our, these pages challenge the reader to think about daily activities and experiences and the feelings they conjure. They also lead us to think about the substance of our happiness, and what the ingredients of it might be. Written with subtlety and nuance and illustrated in pencil, pen and watercolor with great tenderness, \u003ci\u003eThe Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in its Mouth\u003c\/i\u003e is a gentle, fun, and philosophical read, with which one can start and end the day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBruce Handy\u003c\/b\u003e is an author, journalist, essayist, critic, humorist, and editor. \u003ci\u003eThe Happiness of a Dog With a Ball in Its Mouth \u003c\/i\u003eis his first book for young readers. He is also the author of \u003ci\u003eWild Things: The Joy of Reading Children's Literature as an Adult\u003c\/i\u003e, published in 2017 by Simon \u0026amp; Schuster. Handy has also worked as a writer-editor at \u003ci\u003eVanity Fair, Time, Esquire\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eSpy \u003c\/i\u003eand has contributed to the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Magazine, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Book Review, \u003ci\u003eNew York\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eNew Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as other publications that don't have New York in their titles, including the \u003ci\u003eAtlantic \u003c\/i\u003eand the \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e. He currently lives in New York with his wife, the novelist Helen Schulman. They have two mostly grown kids.\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHyewon Yum\u003c\/b\u003e is an author and illustrator of many picture books, including \u003ci\u003eLion Needs a Haircut\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eSaturday is Swimming Day\u003c\/i\u003e, which won a Charlotte Zolotow honor. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Enchanted Lion","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50682058539282,"sku":"9781592703517","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_e52e964a-5603-403e-8215-38aa72e16376.jpg?v=1733962959","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-happiness-of-a-dog-with-a-ball-in-its-mouth-9781592703517","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}