If you’ve ever had this tune stuck in your head, “We’ve got the whole wide world in our yard to explore…”, you can thank Dan Yaccarino. He designed Pablo, Uniqua and the rest of the Backyardigans crew, and he’s also the creator of the adorable show Oswald.
Best of all, he’s been a huge help to our kids in developing their imaginations and learning how to work well with others. With his new Happyland board books series, he’s aiming to teach children about social-emotional aspects of growing up — and, in our opinion, he nails it. We can only hope there are more books to come very, very soon.
Related: 8 outstanding books that teach empathy for kids with special needs
Each book in the Happyland series tackles a different emotional concept: worry, sharing, gratitude. The tough topics that many parents like myself struggle with teaching our children. But the Happyland series makes these lessons so easy to understand through simple stories that help kids see and hear someone else’s experience, and makes it all a bit easier to talk about.
Even if your kids just fall in love with these books because of the quirky, cute characters, that’s a win too. I’m pretty sure the lessons they’ll be absorbing, whether or not they even realize it, will sink in eventually.
You can find Dan Yaccarino’s Happyland series, including Rainy Day (worry), Birthday Cake (sharing), and Big Berry (gratitude), at our affiliate Amazon, or check your local bookstore. They’re perfect for preschoolers and Kindergartners still adjusting to school, and they’ll make great stocking stuffers or add-on gifts for this holiday season too.
