Happy Birthday To Me

Critically acclaimed picture book creator Thao Lam returns with Happy Birthday To Me, a delightful picture book that captures all the emotions associated with a young child’s birthday.

Utilizing her signature paper craft illustrations, Lam explores the day of a child’s birthday from beginning to end, capturing the excitement and anticipation but also moments of feeling shy in front of large groups, disappointed in underwhelming gifts and nauseous from gorging on birthday cake and other treats. When completely overwhelmed by the day’s festivities, the child returns to the comfort of their mother who takes them aside for a quiet moment. Finally, when reflecting on the classic birthday question (“How does it feel to be a year older?”) the child decides that, in fact, all things considered, it feels the same and they simply feel like themselves.

Lam’s narration is sparse but effectively conveys the whirlwind of emotions felt by a child at a big event like a birthday and makes it clear to the reader that it’s okay to feel any and all emotions even on a day that should be “the best day”. As with all of Lam’s picture books, the visuals take center stage, with Happy Birthday To Me presenting no exception. Lam’s paper craft illustrations are intricate and layered, creating a rich, textured reading experience. Endpapers designed to represent the sprawling top of the birthday cake maintain the delightful tone of the book from beginning to end.

Happy Birthday To Me is a clever and calming ode to all the emotions we feel on the “best” days of our lives, good and bad.