Happy!

October 5, 2015
Williams's hit song, a radio fixture since its 2013 release on the soundtrack to the film Despicable Me 2, is recast as a picture book, its earwormy lyrics paired with photos of a multicultural crew of children staged with costumes, cardboard props, chalk drawings, and digital embellishments. The staged scenes can be extremely literal: the line "I'm a hot air balloon that could go to space" is set against a violet-black backdrop dotted with chalk-drawn planets and stars (one girl floats past in a paper hot-air balloon, while another wears sneakers, a silver gown, and an astronaut's helmet as she rockets through space under her own power). Later, there is indeed a "room without a roof" and a child dressed as a judge, since "happiness is the truth." Even so, the expressive outfits and giant smiles the children wear are beyond infectious, and the homespun nature of the props and setups (a group of rockers plays on cardboard instruments, not Fender guitars) make the book feel like a celebration of kids being kids. Ages 3â7. Agent: Mel Berger, William Morris Endeavor.

October 1, 2015
Williams' song, familiar to many children from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack, is set to consonantly upbeat images. As photographed by Pratt and digitally collaged by Smith, a bevy of smiling, multiethnic tots cavort to the lyrics, wielding a variety of props made from tinfoil and cardboard for a pleasingly preschool-classroom feel. Their enthusiasm and all-around cuteness are the book's high point. As often happens when pop songs are stripped of instrumentation and vocals and set in type, the lyrics are banal, frequently nonsensical: "With the air like I DON'T CARE, / baby, by the way." Pratt and Smith valiantly pose three children in a kite-flying scene to accompany this text, but that doesn't help give the words any real meaning. Presumably in an attempt to lend the text a visual energy that it has lost in the translation into print, it cavorts across the page with many words and phrases set in uppercase. This may confuse those reading along with the song, as the implied textual emphases don't always sync with it. The setting of the text is particularly unfortunate in the final double-page spread: "HAPPY! Bring me down, can't nothing / HAPPY! Bring me down." The two iterations of "HAPPY!" are voiced by backup singers in the song, but laid out on the page with Williams' vocals, they are mystifying. An author's note exhorts readers to become "Happy Helpers." Yet another vapid celebrity picture book. (Picture book. 3-5)

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December 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-Williams's hit song from the movie Despicable Me 2 is put to the page in this lively and fun book. From the tactile neon yellow letters of the title page to the author's note at the end encouraging readers to be "Happy Helpers," the book serves up nothing but joy and whimsy. In full-color spreads, each page features photographs of a diverse group of kids sporting all manner of adorable costumes and hipster apparel. They dance, laugh, and pose with cardboard cutouts and chalk drawings, that allow them to appear in space, on the beach, or, in a literal interpretation of the songs lyrics, "a room without a roof." The lyrics work best when read or sung by readers who are familiar with the song; otherwise the rhythm and rhyme do not make much sense. Because of this, the work may not have as much lasting power as a book based on a more traditional song or nursery rhyme, but for the time being, it will be a big hit with those familiar with the chart-topper. VERDICT A music video put to the pages of a children's book, this fun interpretation of a popular song will make kids and adults alike want to "clap along."-Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2015
Preschool-G Singer-songwriter Williams brings the lyrics of his popular tune (featured in the movie Despicable Me 2) into print with this upbeat picture book. Double-page spreads feature the lyrics, along with photographs of smiling, multiethnic children wearing space suits, flying kites, dodging raindrops, and dancing, all superimposed against digitally produced backgrounds. The text literally dances across the page, with bold capital letters used for emphasized words. Yellow is employed to good effect throughout, especially on the cover, which depicts an embossed, neon sign of the title. Although no Minions or movie scenes are portrayed, and the music is not included, this effort will no doubt please the Grammy winner's numerous fans. However, those looking for a story-hour activity book will be better served by traditional standards such as G. Brian Karas' I Know an Old Lady (1995) or Paul Zelinsky's Knick-Knack Paddywhack (2002). Appended is a letter addressed to kids explaining how they can become Happy Helpers.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Despicable Me films are wildly popular in their own right. Add Grammy winner Williams to the mix, and this will fly off the shelf.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)