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mconant's review against another edition
5.0
As it turns out, the small things in life are what make life worth living. This book is a great way to teach young children about finding joy in the small everyday things like baking, listening to stories, and drumming. The book lists many things that makes the author happy and ends by asking what makes the reader's heart fill with happiness, encouraging children to think of their own joys.
"My Heart Fills With Happiness" contains many beautiful illustrations of Cree people and belongs on every bookshelf.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
"My Heart Fills With Happiness" contains many beautiful illustrations of Cree people and belongs on every bookshelf.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
ambercristofaro's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Simple text. Beautiful illustrations.
mayakinsley's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
agudenburr's review against another edition
4.0
A beautiful board book from a Native American author about family and happiness.
leslie_d's review against another edition
5.0
“My heart fills with happiness when…” the picture book begins. Each double-page following finishes the sentence three times before beginning the sentence over. Flett’s accompanying image may appear deceptively simple to some, but you’ll notice the ladybugs and butterflies also spreading their wings in the sun; the frog also walking barefoot in the grass.
On the next to last page, you are asked “What fills OUR heart with happiness?”
Guess what is on the last page? A Narwhal!! How did they know?!
My Heart Fills with Happiness is a marvelous opportunity to lists those things that fills our heart with happiness. It is also a marvelous opportunity to see “I dance” accompanying a young girl in cultural dress; “I listen to stories” from an elder; and “I drum” with an indigenous drum.
You’ll be able to find a board book version that is not bilingual, but the bilingual paperback isn’t large and it is sturdy enough for laptime—and it is less expensive!
https://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/flett-x2/
On the next to last page, you are asked “What fills OUR heart with happiness?”
Guess what is on the last page? A Narwhal!! How did they know?!
My Heart Fills with Happiness is a marvelous opportunity to lists those things that fills our heart with happiness. It is also a marvelous opportunity to see “I dance” accompanying a young girl in cultural dress; “I listen to stories” from an elder; and “I drum” with an indigenous drum.
You’ll be able to find a board book version that is not bilingual, but the bilingual paperback isn’t large and it is sturdy enough for laptime—and it is less expensive!
https://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/flett-x2/
antlersantlers's review against another edition
5.0
There are a million things I love about this board book. The illustrations are spectacular and this has brought Julie Flett to my attention and I love her so much. The text talks about feelings, senses, and family while very clearly depicting native families.
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
5.0
My Heart Fills with Happiness, while certainly appropriate and fun for any family, is specifically intended for Indigenous readers. Materials like this and Richard Van Camp’s Welcome Song for Baby are crucial for these families, especially as Aboriginal populations in Canada are disproportionately younger than settler populations (National Household Survey: Aboriginal Peoples in Canada). The dedication in particular makes the audience of the book clear, by dedicating the book to residential school survivors. Also, Indigenous cultural details pepper the book, such as the mention of bannock, drumming, and oral storytelling. This positive reinforcement of cultural values is so important because of the history of colonization and its continued legacy in Canada that devalues Indigenous cultures.
For the purposes of language learning, the book does well with repetition: the phrase “my heart fills with happiness when” repeats four times, with a variation at the end of “what fills YOUR heart with happiness?” that encourages answering and asking questions between the parent and child. The other text in the book is simple sentences, all in the present tense starting with “I.” Some pages of text have sentences as short as “I sing” or “I drum.” Others have slightly longer sentences, like “I hold the hand of someone I love.” Although “my heart fills with happiness when” is not repeated before every sentence that completes it, it feels natural to repeat the phrase even when it is not written on the page while you are reading the book aloud.
Much of the text encourages touch and being active. It also frequently references the senses (seeing, smelling, feeling). “I see the face of someone I love” is followed by an illustration of a baby touching their mother’s face, implicitly encouraging both of them to touch each other’s faces. The text and illustration referencing hand holding perform the same function. References to smelling bannok, singing, dancing, drumming, and other activities easily invoke the idea to show the baby what is meant, by singing, dancing, or drumming in front of them, or touching your nose for smelling. Touching and shared activities promote bonding and emotional attachment, which in turn establishes a relationship so that babies can “use the mature functions of the parent’s brain to organize its own processes” (Siegel, The Developing Mind, p. 91).
Flett’s illustrations do use big blocks of distinct colour in some spots, but different shades of one colour in others, so an infant over 3 months with more advanced eyesight would get more out of the pictures in My Heart Fills with Happiness than a younger baby. In Growing a reader from birth: Your child’s path from language to literacy Diane McGuinness confirms that newborns prefer black and white and bright primary colour contrast (p. 30).
For the purposes of language learning, the book does well with repetition: the phrase “my heart fills with happiness when” repeats four times, with a variation at the end of “what fills YOUR heart with happiness?” that encourages answering and asking questions between the parent and child. The other text in the book is simple sentences, all in the present tense starting with “I.” Some pages of text have sentences as short as “I sing” or “I drum.” Others have slightly longer sentences, like “I hold the hand of someone I love.” Although “my heart fills with happiness when” is not repeated before every sentence that completes it, it feels natural to repeat the phrase even when it is not written on the page while you are reading the book aloud.
Much of the text encourages touch and being active. It also frequently references the senses (seeing, smelling, feeling). “I see the face of someone I love” is followed by an illustration of a baby touching their mother’s face, implicitly encouraging both of them to touch each other’s faces. The text and illustration referencing hand holding perform the same function. References to smelling bannok, singing, dancing, drumming, and other activities easily invoke the idea to show the baby what is meant, by singing, dancing, or drumming in front of them, or touching your nose for smelling. Touching and shared activities promote bonding and emotional attachment, which in turn establishes a relationship so that babies can “use the mature functions of the parent’s brain to organize its own processes” (Siegel, The Developing Mind, p. 91).
Flett’s illustrations do use big blocks of distinct colour in some spots, but different shades of one colour in others, so an infant over 3 months with more advanced eyesight would get more out of the pictures in My Heart Fills with Happiness than a younger baby. In Growing a reader from birth: Your child’s path from language to literacy Diane McGuinness confirms that newborns prefer black and white and bright primary colour contrast (p. 30).
sunflowerjess's review against another edition
5.0
I had previously read the board book version of this book, which is written only in English. This version, including both Plains Cree and English, was even more touching and powerful for me by stint of being duolingual. This book celebrates simple but profound joys of life. I am so happy this book exists to give representation to Indigenous children.