PPBF: The Boy Who Lost His Laugh

Emerson once wrote: The earth laughs in flowers.

And he was right. Can't you just feel the therapy as you tiptoe through the bluebonnets with us? Oh, how I wish you could have smelled the

scent-sational fragrance in this field of flowers.

It truly was a sensory explosion.

This shot is silly because of the illusion that I'm sinking in quick sand.

Sinking in beauty. But what if you're sinking in something more serious?

Enter today's PPBF.

Title: The Boy Who Lost His Laugh

Author: Dimity Powell

Illustrator: Heidi Cooper Smith

Publisher: EK Books

Birth date: March 10, 2026

Suitable for: ages 4-8

Themes: foster care, humor, resilience

Brief synopsis: As a foster child, Tim has had a hard go at life; will he finally find a forever family of his own ... along with a reason to laugh again?

Opening page: Tim had a legion of dinosaurs, hair he forgot to brush, a freckly nose and a weird smell when he ran around too much. But, the one thing Tim had never had ...

Resources: Watch a book trailer {here}.

Read Maria Marshall's interview with the author {here}.

Check out this comprehensive teachers' guide.

Read the Kirkus review {here}.

Why I like this book: My family of origin hosted many foster children over the years; to have had a discussion about who they were and what they might need would have made a world of difference.

That's what makes this newcomer niche book an educator's dream. First, I'd use this gem to validate the emotions of the foster child and give them permission to talk about what they're experiencing.

Then, I'd try it as a read-aloud to elevate empathy:

What must it be like to be Tim?

What would you want? What would you need?

What could you do to show compassionate care?

Laughter is a resilience skill; find out what makes your students laugh.

Talk with them about the therapeutic benefits of things, like flowers.