Looking for Happy

Every day is different. Some days everything goes right--you're in the groove and feeling like yourself.

But some days, it's a lot harder to find happy because everything is just blah. Sometimes everything that should be fun just feels . . . flat. A young boy is having one of those dreary days, and nothing seems to help. But after trying his grandmother's way to shake the blues also fails, he discovers that happiness is easiest to find when you're not looking.

This picture book gently reminds readers that it's normal to have happy and sad days and normalizes speaking about emotions and seeking help. Heartfelt and hopeful, the story models emotional intelligence and self-awareness for readers of all ages.

Ty Chapman is the author of Sarah Rising (Beaming 2022); Looking for Happy (Beaming 2023); A Door Made for Me, written with Tyler Merritt (WorthyKids 2022); Tartarus (Button Poetry 2024); and multiple forthcoming children's books through various publishers. Chapman was a finalist for Tin House's 2022 Fall Residency, Button Poetry's 2022 Chapbook Contest, and Frontier Magazine's New Voices contest. Chapman's accomplishments also include being named a Loft Literary Center Mirrors and Windows fellow and a Mentor Series fellow, and attending Vermont College of Fine Arts in pursuit of his master's degree in creative writing for children and young adults.