The Treasure: A Story About Finding Joy in Unexpected Places

K-Gr 3–How does one find happiness? That’s the theme of this gorgeously illustrated picture book. A hare is unsatisfied with its current life and decides to make an epic quest to the top of a mountain where there is a treasure box that contains the thing to make dreams come true. The quest is difficult, and along the way, the hare finds a bear and a blackbird, each with a talent to make the quest a little less arduous. Each of them is dreaming about what will bring them happiness. When the three animals reach the summit. The illustrations are at once dark and foreboding, almost apprehension-inducing, but also with a warmth and depth that give the story a feeling of hope. This would be an excellent story to teach a lesson on theme and also to talk with students about finding happiness and how that happens.