Happy by Mies Van Hout Ages 2+ 52 pages Lemniscaat USA April 2012 Hardcover     Each of the twenty fish in this picture book is expressing a different emotion. The wide-eyed fish is feeling curious, the trembling fish looks nervous, and the sad fish is literally blue. Set against black backgrounds, the fish communicate their mood with every part of themselves. The bored fish is dull and droops all over, while the delighted fish is upright, almost beaming. The typeface of the lettering matches the power of the emotion. The color, line, and style of the words will also help children interpret the disposition of the fish. This is a book that shows imagination and communication. If reading Happy during story time, cover the words and ask the children how they think the fish is feeling. Some pages are more challenging than others (content, jealous, sure) but these new words will enhance a child’s vocabulary of feelings. Mies Van Hout’s illustrations can also be seen in the picture books Mine! and Brave Ben.     web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2012 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)