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Happy Face, Sad Face
First wordsFeelingsAges 3–5

Happy Face, Sad Face

by ReadRead · 90 sec

Tao is happy. Tao is sad. A very first book about feelings: one short sentence on every page, and every face in the picture shows the word.

10pop-up spreads
25things to tap
2new words
Words in this book
happysadduckfallsfriendshelpshomekitty
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Inside the book

Tao is playing in the sandbox. He builds a tall sand tower, and Teddy sits on top. Oh no, the tower falls! Tao is sad. Teddy is sad. Even the sun looks sad. Then Tao’s friend Lin comes to help. Together they build a big sand castle, and everyone is happy again. At the end, the children cheer up the sad puppy, kitty, duck and bunny.

Lin helps Tao build the sand tower again in Happy Face, Sad Face.
Lin helps Tao build the sand tower again in Happy Face, Sad Face.
Tao is happy, building a sand tower in the sunny sandbox.
Tao is happy, building a sand tower in the sunny sandbox.
The tower has fallen and Tao is sad, while a grey cloud covers the sun.
The tower has fallen and Tao is sad, while a grey cloud covers the sun.
Happy Tao, happy Lin and happy Teddy by their big sand castle.
Happy Tao, happy Lin and happy Teddy by their big sand castle.

The two new words

happy

Feeling good, with a big smile. It comes up 8 times, and every time a face on the page smiles and a little heart pops up: Tao with his tower, Teddy on top, Tao when Lin helps, the three friends by their big castle, and the animals at the end.

sad

Feeling bad, maybe with a tear. It comes up 6 times: Tao cries when his tower falls, Teddy sits sad in the sand, and the puppy, kitty and duck look sad until a child taps them. Every time, a real paper tear rolls down, and on the sad pages even the sun frowns behind a grey cloud.

Made for children just starting kindergarten. Each page has one short sentence (3 to 6 words) in one pattern: “Tao is happy.” / “Tao is sad.” / “Teddy is sad.” Only one word changes, so a child can say the page with you by the third spread. Every other word is one a 4-year-old already knows, like tower, teddy, puppy, kitty, duck and friends. The story also shows a small, kind idea: when a friend is sad, you can help.

Questions to ask while you read

Pause after each spread and ask one question. There are no right answers; the point is to get your child talking.

  1. 1Is Tao happy? Show me your happy face!
  2. 2Where is Teddy sitting?
  3. 3Oh no! What happened to the tower?
  4. 4How does Tao feel now? Show me your sad face.
  5. 5Why is Teddy sad?
  6. 6Who is coming to see Tao?
  7. 7How does Lin help Tao?
  8. 8Look at the big castle! Is everyone happy?
  9. 9Tap a sad friend. Can you make it happy?
  10. 10Where are the happy friends going?

Tips for parents

  • First time: use Read to me and just enjoy the pictures together. It takes about a minute and a half.
  • Make the faces together: a big smile on “happy”, a sad frown on “sad”.
  • Read it again and pause before “happy” or “sad”, and let your child say the word by looking at the faces.
  • Talk about it after: what makes you sad? What helps you feel happy again?
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