a site celebrating the collection of things to be happy about in life
by Barbara Ann Kipfer
1,400 Things for Kids to be Happy About
What makes for a happy childhood? The little things, same as in any other time of life. Like reading together with mom and dad. Or the smell of a Christmas tree. Building a fort with a friend. Barbara Ann Kipfer knows a thing or two about happiness -- her first book, 14,000 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT, has more than 1 million copies in print. Illustrated throughout in full-color by Paul Meisel, 1,400 things for kids to be happy about was a celebration of all the little things that make kids happy. But it was also a workbook of happiness. In a friendly, spread-by-spread format, it covered the important parts that make up a child's world -- parents, neighbors, the zoo, friends, the playground, pets, the classroom, movies, summer vacation, listing things that are labeled in each picture and leaving ten blank lines for kids to fill in with their own favorite things. Now out of print, but hopefully it will make a comeback!
- learning five new words
- raking a big pile of leaves and jumping in
- tools hung on barn walls
- secret caves
- Peter Pan
- what you wish when you blow out the birthday candles
- grass, soft underfoot
- fun placemats
- celebrations for each of the seasons
- pulling off a surprise
- ranger-led weekend canoe trips
- brushing snow from the evergreens
- I voted stickers
- a beautiful call by a robin