The Happiness Tree

Book excerpt: The Happiness Tree is a beautifully told and stunningly illustrated story of a little girl who, with the help of a special creature, breaks a wicked witch's spell and brings happiness back to the world. It is easy to envision a world overrun with waste and litter, oceans teaming with plastic, skies filled with smog and smoke and rivers permeated with pollution. In this story a terrible witch uses the detritus and pollution as ingredients and mixes them together, casting a hideous spell to create a potion so poisonous she destroys all the happiness in the world. But do not fear: All is not lost! The spell is broken when an adventurous young girl meets a new friend who leads her to a magical tree. Together they rediscover happiness and set it free once again, breaking the evil spell and bringing smiles to the faces of people all across the world. This timely story particularly resonates with the children of today, who are more aware of the impact we are having on our planet than any previous generation. Sadly, this story is not far from reality as it echoes the real-life impact of pollution for many people around the world and the effects on their declining wellbeing. The story encourages children and adults to explore the natural world, to venture into the outdoors in search of those special trees and mesmeric places that fill our hearts and souls with joy and experience the pleasure and happiness that comes from being immersed in the wonder of nature.