Book Review of Positives
The Children’s Book Review
Positives
Written by Frank Clayton
Illustrated by Cat Charm
Ages: 6-10 | 40 Pages
Publisher: The Happiest Therapist Presents | ISBN-13: 9798276375397
What to Expect: Positive psychology, gratitude, mental health, friendship, anxiety support, social-emotional learning, interactive exercises.
A relatable story for young readers, Positives introduces the power of gratitude and positive psychology to help kids navigate everyday anxieties and boost their overall happiness.
When Dan wakes up feeling bummed out, his friend Zeke tries to cheer him up with jokes and hats. Just as they are heading to school, the new kid, Annie, steps in to introduce a simple exercise her grandpa taught her called “3 Good Things”. Curious to see if talking about what they are grateful for can really change their mood, the trio takes turns sharing positives to see if they can lift Dan’s spirits—and Dan’s mood ring—before the school bell rings.
Written by Clinical Mental Health Counselor Frank Clayton, the narrative frames evidence-based cognitive tools in a conversational, highly approachable dialogue structure. The playful banter between Dan, Zeke, and Annie keeps the tone light and authentic, making abstract mental health concepts—such as gratitude, reframing, and emotional regulation—easy for children to understand and practice in their own lives.
Deepening the narrative by giving concrete expression to internal feelings are Cat Charm’s illustrations—the color-changing mood ring provides a visual metric for emotional growth, and Annie’s imaginary support cat, Mr. Face, adds humor and comfort to the story’s themes of anxiety and friendship.
Positives is a heartwarming and educational tool that seamlessly blends story with practical mental health exercises. It will be most enjoyed by elementary school readers, as well as parents, teachers, and counselors looking for an engaging way to introduce social-emotional learning and daily gratitude habits.
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About the Author
Frank G. Clayton is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, creator of the long-running Happiness 101 course, and award-winning author of Positives. His debut children’s book has received the Mom’s Choice Gold Award and the Literary Titan Book Award for its engaging, science-informed approach to helping kids build happier lives.
For nearly two decades, Frank has helped people create happier, healthier, more meaningful lives through the principles of positive psychology. He wrote Positives to give kids a simple, practical way to notice what’s going right and develop lifelong habits of gratitude, optimism, and resilience.
Frank is also developing the next book in the Positive Kids series, *What’s Good? along with a companion teacher’s playbook that helps educators bring positive psychology into the classroom through simple, practical activities. His mission is to make the science of happiness accessible to children, parents, teachers, and schools.
