Published: 2024
Author: Joy Yi | Illustrator: Jisue Moone
Genre: Picture Book / Realistic Fiction / Social-Emotional Learning
Audience: Pre-K–Grade 3
Number of Stars: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Goodreads Link: The Jar of Laughter
Themes: Joy, Empathy, Community, Sharing, Emotional Regulation.
Publisher’s Summary
Unleash the Power of Laughter, Friendship, and Community!
The Jar of Laughter is a captivating, rhyming story that fosters empathy, confidence, and social-emotional growth. Discover how small choices can make a big impact—not only in their lives but in their communities as well.
Meet Larry, a boy who’s never smiled nor had a friend—until he finds a mysterious jar that releases laughter! But there’s a the jar only works when shared. Will Larry be able to connect with others and see how his choices can bring joy to those around him? Join Larry as he steps out of his comfort zone, makes new friends, and discovers the ripple effect in his world.
Perfect for family story time, parent-child bonding, and classroom reading, this fun, uplifting read-aloud book inspires kids to embrace empathy and see that emotions are contagious.
Show how small choices can make a big impact on the community
Encourage empathy, courage, and building friendshipsSupport social-emotional learning (SEL) and build confidence in kids as they see that their choices can make a differencePerfect for bonding through family reading, classroom discussions, and librariesEngage with beautiful illustrations and rhyming text. If you like John Lithgow’s Never Play Music Right Next Share the joy today and give your child the gift of laughter!
Review
In a quiet, gloomy town with very little color and no smiles lives a little boy named Larry. Larry plays all by himself until he finds a peddler selling mysterious jars. She offers one to Larry and explains that it is full of surprises, but he must speak into it, shake it, and open it. When he follows her directions, a storm of laughter explodes, bringing him instant joy. However, the real test comes when a little girl asks to try. Larry initially refuses, forgetting that “every new voice” is what unlocks the magic inside.
Once he finally lets her and the rest of the townspeople take a turn, the blissful explosions of laughter open everyone up to sharing stories and interacting. Through this imaginative story, children explore the importance of happiness and how positivity can create happy memories even during difficult times.
The language is simple and rhythmic, making it an excellent read-aloud choice. I was particularly struck by the illustrations, which reminded me of the classic, folk-art style of Tomie dePaola. The intentional use of dreary colors for the gloom, contrasted with the burst of bright colors when the laughter is released, perfectly captures the emotional shift of the story. This is a beautiful tool for teaching social-emotional skills and character traits.
🌊 The “Ripple Effect” of Positive Emotions
The story serves as a literal representation of “emotional contagion”—the scientific phenomenon where one person’s emotions and related behaviors trigger similar emotions in others.
- The Spark: Larry’s initial choice to open the jar represents the “spark” of vulnerability.
- The Connection: By sharing the jar, Larry moves from isolation to interaction.
- The Community Transformation: Just as a ripple expands, the laughter moves from Larry to his neighbor, and eventually to the entire town, physically changing the “color” and atmosphere of their environment.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Social-Emotional Learning (Empathy & Connection):
- Activity Idea: “The Class Joy Jar.” Create a physical jar in the classroom. When a student sees someone do something kind or something that makes them laugh, they write it on a slip of paper and “speak it” into the jar. At the end of the week, open the jar to release the “laughter” and read the memories aloud.
- ELA (Onomatopoeia & Rhyme):
- Activity Idea: The story’s focus on laughter is a perfect lead-in for lessons on onomatopoeia. Have students brainstorm all the different “sounds” of laughter (e.g., giggle, guffaw, chuckle, snort, tee-hee) and use them to write their own two-line rhymes.
- Art (Color Theory & Mood):
- Activity Idea: Mirror the illustrator’s technique. Have students fold a piece of paper in half. On the “Gloomy” side, use only cool or neutral colors (grays, blues, blacks). On the “Laughter” side, use warm, vibrant colors (yellows, oranges, pinks) to show how emotions can change the way a place looks.
- Literacy (Rhyming & Fluency):
- Activity Idea: Because the book uses rhyming text, use it for “Choral Reading” to help young learners build fluency and hear the cadence of the language.
