Grow Happy

This book is about a girl, Kiko, growing her garden but also about Kiko learning to be happy. Just like she takes care of her garden by choosing the right soil, watering the plants, and protecting them from the cold, she takes care of her body and mind. She eats healthy food and gets plenty of rest. She knows things are not perfect, in gardening or in life. Sometimes bugs eat leaves, and bad days at school happen. When something comes up, just like for the garden, she tries to find solutions. By paying attention to her own feelings, she gets to think before acting. She apologizes if she does something wrong, and works problems out with her friends.

Having family and friends that support her is also very important: when she has a bad day, mom fixes her a yummy snack. Her friends and her brother help her if she can’t do something for herself. That’s how she grows happiness.

I think this is a nice book. I read it on a day when I had a rough day in school, and it helped me think that there are ways to be happier even on a bad day.