How are you feeling today?

I am definitely feeling Happy Sad

Happy after two wonderful days with my sister

Sad to have come away not knowing when we will see her again

Happy Sad is something I often feel as a bereaved mother

And as part of a family who are spread around the globe

Being together is always wonderful

But it never lasts for long

As we drove away from my sister yesterday

William and Bea were both so so sad

As they adore their cousins and get on so well with them

It is hard for children to navigate big emotions

And harder still when their feelings are mixed

When they feel both happy and sad

Happy Sad

Pippa Goodhart has written the perfect book

To help little readers deal with mixed emotions

And to reassure them that feeling a little mixed up

Is perfect normal and they are most definitely not alone

In this story

Beautifully illustrated by Augusta Kirkwood

We meet Toby who loves living by the sea

One day when fishing in a rockpool

He catches a mermaid in his net

The mermaid is sad

Because the tide has gone out and left her behind

Toby takes the mermaid home to his family

Where he tries to make the mermaid happy

He fills the paddling pool for her

Finds some fish for her to play with and sing to

Toby does all he can to comfort the mermaid

And she appreciates his efforts very much

Toby makes the mermaid happy

But she also feels sad

As she misses the ocean

The waves, the wildness

The mermaid likes Toby

And has fun with her new friend

But she misses her sea friends

And her family

The mermaid is feeling both happy and sad

Happy Sad

Toby knows what he must do

He takes the mermaid back to the sea

The mermaid is happy to return to the ocean

But also sad to say goodbye to Toby

Toby thinks about going with the mermaid

But then he thinks of his own home, his own family

And then he understands

When he feels happy sad too

The two friends part understanding one another

And with lots of special memories to share

This is a lovely story

And would be wonderful to read with little readers

For Empathy Day on the 9th June

Thank you Little Door Books

For asking me to be part of the Book Tour

For the wonderful tale of Toby and the mermaid

Happy Sad

Do check out the rest of the reviews coming up in the tour