Book Info

Children's Author 'Like-for-Like' recommendations

Synopsis

Smile! by Leigh Hodgkinson

Sunny has lost something terribly important... her smile! She searches everywhere: under the sofa, in the dog basket, in all her pockets, yet it's nowhere to be found. But while she is busy searching and playing and having fun looking, something special happens, and she realises that happiness is just under your nose... This fabulously funny new story from an award winning animator will bring a smile to your face with its affectionate depiction of the chaos of family life and the joy of finding lost things.

---

Reviews

'Absolutely Delightful'

-- - Angels & Urchins 'Smile! is an irresistible picture book...It's a bright, uplifting story about family life with fantastic illustrations - and sure to engage young children.
The Bookseller 20090609 When her mom says no to more cookies, chipper little Sunny loses her smile and searches the whole house hoping to get it back. She peers under the bed, sifts through the couch and questions poor Glittergills the goldfish. Even with a small, down
-turned mouth Sunny remains cute as a button, and her percolating narration bounces readers from page to page. Wonderfully imperfect hand-lettered sections of text help evoke the high-pitched voice of a small girl. Charming, Lauren Child--like multimedia spreads pop with punchy colors, quirky diagrams and annotations. Sunny might have churned out the illustrations herself, bent over a kitchen table determined to tell her story. Readers learn that in scouring her home, Sunny inadvertently does quite a bit of good work: She cleans up her room, feeds Glittergills, finds Daddy's lost flip-flop and ends up quietly playing cards with Mr. Honeycomb, the family dog. Sunny's mother beams, lavishes her with praise and...Found it! Hodgkinson's vivid artwork and story capture the colorful, intricate and comedic inner workings of a child's imagination. (Picture book. 2-6) -- Kirkus Reviews 20090609 Youngsters who enjoy Lauren Child's books will love this one. -- School Library Journal 20100201 A charming story book. -- School Librarian 20090801 A wonderfully inventive, imaginative read. -- Child Education 20091101

---

About The Author

Leigh Hodgkinson is an award winning animator, and the creative director of the first Charlie and Lola animation series. Leigh has written and illustrated her debut picture book Colin and the Snoozebox for Orchard, which has received huge critical acclaim. Leigh lives in London with her partner and their cat.

More books by this author

Share this book

---

Share this book with other net users and your friends