Often, when I’m feeling a need for levity, something comes along to bring me joy. It’s not surprising that something is often a book.
Happy All Over by author/illustrator Emma Quay really hits the spot for me.
First published in Australia in 2024, this lovely, lyrical book had its U.S. debut in May (2026). Many of the best pictures books are simple but deep, which is what makes readers return to them again and again. Happy All Over is exactly that. Quay’s delightful book celebrates the happiness found in the everyday, how small pleasures can bring the most joy — warm feet, mud, dandelion fluff, bubbles, licking the spoon, a bear-hug squeeze.
“A star. The floor. Shapes at the door. Finding there are five when you thought there were four.”
“Happy on the inside, inside out. Happy all over—splash it all about.”
The book is saturated with water images—so many that readers might feel gloriously drenched by the time they turn the final page.
Happy All Over is a picture book in the true sense—many of the moments are not expressed or defined in the text, but are seen only in the whimsical, ink-lined watercolor art, making both illustrations and words crucial to the experience. The text is concise and evocative, with rhyme that falls together in a relaxed way that feels genuine and natural — not an easy feat.
“Sticky tape heaven. A squeeze. A Slice. Just the right number of spots on the dice.”
I highly recommend this beautiful picture book, not only for children, but for everyone. Happy All Over offers a boost to all who choose to embrace Quay’s powerful perspective.
Enjoy, dear friends!