Happyville Keys, the happiest town a kid can read into.
Colorful, poetic, hilarious picture books that teach children about wisdom, friendship and character while they are busy having fun.
Every story is doing two jobs at once.
Happyville Publishing was built to engage, encourage and inspire children to read. Every book is designed to teach an object lesson, promote mental wellness, build confidence, foster compassion and strengthen self esteem.
The laughing is the hook. The lesson is what stays.
Meet the Happyville Keys crew.
Follow an adorable, likeable, slightly mischievous crew as they learn the ways of life through trial, error and a whole lot of fun.
The Land of Do As You Please
The children of Happyville Keys are certain life would be better with no rules, no vegetables and no parents. One wish later, they find out that a life of nothing but candy and laughing might be more than they can chew.
The lesson: boundaries are a kind of love.
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It’s Okay to Feel Your Way
Big feelings show up early and they do not always knock first. This one gives children the words for what is happening inside them, and gives grown ups an easy way to ask about it.
The lesson: naming a feeling makes it smaller.
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Uncle Tiny Is Kind of Whiny
Everybody knows somebody who is a little bit hard to be around. Uncle Tiny teaches children how to be patient and kind with people who test their patience.
The lesson: compassion for the person nobody wants to sit by.
Tell me when it’s outListen along: free audio poems from the series are available to stream or download on every book page.
Happyville Adventures.
Press play and let the crew introduce themselves. A quick look at the world your kids are about to fall in love with.
Use these books as a springboard, not a bedtime timer.
Happyville books are written so the conversation keeps going after the last page. Read one out loud and you have an open door to talk about the hard stuff without making it a lecture.
- Start real conversations between adults and young readers
- Talk through challenges children are already facing
- Strengthen the relationship while you build the vocabulary
- Set the stage for a lifetime of reading
The Talk About It Guide
Every Happyville title comes with a one page discussion guide: five questions to ask, one activity to do together, and the vocabulary words worth pausing on. Written by a school social worker with 30 years in the field.
Get the guide free
Charlotte S. Grant, MSW
Author, poet, speaker, and the kind of storyteller who gets a room of second graders and a room of adults laughing at the same joke.
A Jacksonville native, Charlotte holds a BA in Social Work from California State University, Los Angeles and a Master of Social Work from Florida State University. She is a certified teacher and has spent more than 30 years in child welfare, family services and mental health counseling, including work as an adoption counselor, a family counselor, and currently a school social worker with Hillsborough County Public Schools.
That is where the books come from. Every story in Happyville Keys started with a real child, a real question, and a real need for somebody to explain it gently.
- Author
- Poet
- Storyteller
- Motivational facilitator
- Comedian
- Emcee
Storytelling, workshops and school visits.
Charlotte presents in states across the country for schools, churches, conferences and agencies. Every session is interactive, every session is customized, and every session opens with comedy because a laughing audience is a listening audience.
Elementary storytelling
Thirty to sixty minutes. Students build picture book ideas together and talk through characters, setting and dialogue, then finish with a live interactive storytelling finale.
Middle school story lab
Forty five to sixty minutes. Students create, act out and then write a collaborative story in whatever genre the class picks, from poetry to fiction to memoir.
High school poetry slam
Forty five to sixty minutes. Students learn to present and critique poetry, write to a random topic, and compete for the title of school slam winner.
Creative Writing Boot Camp
A one day intensive for writers, parents and educators. Walk out with the first pages of your own children’s book and the tools to tell it like you mean it.
Keynotes and lectures
Character building, creative writing, positive communication, emotional management, team building and stronger relationships. Tailored to your audience.
Book signing included
Every booking includes a signing, and students go home holding a book with the author’s name written in it by hand.
Over 100 workshops and counting.
- Florida Head Start
- United Negro College Fund
- Public Broadcasting System
- WMNF Tampa 88.5
- National Association of School Social Workers
- Oakwood University
- World of Nations Festival
- Tampa Bay Academy of Hope
- El Shaday Orphanage, Ethiopia
One email a month. Zero homework.
New releases, free discussion guides, printable activities and the occasional audio poem your kids will ask for on repeat.
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