Children's book Where Happiness Hides aims to help children across the globe find happiness in ordinary things, and its author, Anthony Bertini, hopes it will help them cope with social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"[Hppiness] is all around, hidden in small things that surround us, but we don’t always notice," the book reads.
"Even in the best of times, happiness can hide its face… until we stop to look for it."
Highlights
- Where Happiness Hides has been translated into 36 languages.
- It teaches children how to find joy in ordinary things during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The book has already been downloaded about 250,000 times.
These words may resonate with many, especially in times of COVID-19, and as many countries around the world face a second wave of coronavirus.
"Normally only after a tragedy, do we actually think back and pull back all the things that are holding us back, and we actually try to find happiness in all the small things — we look for happiness in our relationships," the author of the book Anthony Bertini told SBS Italian.
"We have been convincing ourselves over many, many years that big things make us happy.
"The irony about that is that we tell our children that it’s not that big present, it’s not that car set, it’s not those other things that make you happy; it's always the small things," he says.
The author says he observed that when children are left to themselves, they always find happiness in the smallest things.
"Remember when we gave a present to our kids when they were young, and they got more excited about the box than the actual present, and they played forever with that little box?"
"So it’s one of the things that we do constantly have to remind ourselves," says Mr Bertini.
Where Happiness Hides has been illustrated by Jennifer Goldsmith, an internationally renowned figure in the world of handmade inventive toy characters crafted from felt.
The book is Jennifer’s first foray into the world of picture-book illustration.
The hard copy was supposed to be published in Australia earlier this year and was scheduled to go to the Bologna Children's Book Fair in May.
But the international event got cancelled, and the publisher changed the plans.
"We thought, 'how can we bring this to the world anyway?' Who knows what the world of publishing will look like after COVID-19," explained Mr Bertini.
And so the author and Dirt Lane Press decided to make the book available online in multiple languages before the hard copy could be released.
"Every child in the world was facing a sense of upheaval and change in their life, a little bit of uncertainty and doubt in terms of where it’s going and probably every child’s parents, independently from where they live around the world were trying to say to their children, 'don’t you be too depressed, there’s happiness in small things'," says Mr Bertini.
"And with that in mind I spoke with some friends, and we raised some money. I spoke to the publisher, and we said: 'Let's just give it away, let’s give it away for free. It's not about making money; it's not about our ego; let’s just try to get this book out in as many languages as possible."
The book has so far been translated into 36 languages with 250,000 copies downloaded.
Italo-Australian actress Greta Scacchi has narrated the book in an online video.
The book was also voiced over in Greek by Australian actress, writer and comedy icon Mary Coustas.
Mr Bertini works in the corporate world in the area of clean technology. His first book, Things My Pa Told Me, was published in 2018.
He says after his father died, he wanted to write down some of his teachings.
"I thought it was a nice way to pass on some messages and some stories that I had been told, and I found out while I was doing it that everyone is telling their children more or less the same story."
"We pass the folklore down from generation to generation ... What I found is that they were the same stories that had been told from generation to generation,"
The book is also available in an Indigenous language. The Wiradjuri edition of Where Happiness Hides was launched on 25 October.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
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