Review Detail

Laugh

Kids Indie 166

A book to make you smile and laugh

May 08, 2026 (Updated: June 03, 2026)

Overall rating

3.3

Plot

3.0

Characters

3.0

Writing Style

3.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

In this rhyming picture book, we meet a little girl who wakes up and goes about her day while trying to remain upbeat and positive. She has breakfast, rides the bus to school, and tries to spread joy by greeting people and laughing with her friends. She extols the virtues of different kinds of laughter, from Snickers to guffaws, and recommends especially sharing laughter with loved ones at home. At the end of the day, she reflects from her darkened bedroom on the power of living joyfully.

Good Points

This is framed by the character of Uncle Ian introducing the concept of laughter and waving us goodbye at the end of the book. The author has other books including Clap, Stomp, Cheer, and Dance, all of which embrace the same upbeat philosophy of celebrating every day life.

The illustrations are colorful; the little girl's bright green glasses are particularly fun, especially when we meet her family and find that her father and grandmother have similar ones. There are plenty of details to pick out in the backgrounds, and a diverse cast of characters shown enjoying life.

There have been a lot of picture books lately dealing with anxiety and grief, so it's good to see a few books that show joy and resilience. Pair this with happy books like My Heart Fills With Happiness by Smith and Flett, The Joyful Book by Parr, and Rosen's I Am Happy to brighten days that need it.