Where Happiness Lives is a quaint story about what true happiness is and how one finds it. It is no spoiler that it is through friendship and realizing 
what is truly worthy (again, no surprised, but it is a home that is over-filled with people who are over-filled with love). It is about how a Mouse is envious of the big house he finds, but the mouse who lives there is envious of the tower he sees from his grand home and how the final mouse is of course, envious of what she sees from her telescope (a little voyeurism in a children’s book anyone?)
There is little traditional action, a lot of walking and finally much friendship is found. It is Richard Scarry meeting a spiritual story. It is a feel-good book. It is something Grandma Florence or Great-Uncle Bob purchases as a baby shower gift or a first birthday gift.
Barry Timms and Greg Abbott created a book that is happy, sweet and comfortable. The illustrations are colorful, detailed, move the story along. They compliment the text and the text uses the illustrations to anchor itself to make a solid story. The only real issue I have is there are no real surprises. The adult knows the message, they know that eventually the mice will learn true wealth and they know that everyone will live happily ever after with their new friends. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. It is a good thing. It is nice in this crazy world to have something pleasant to fall back on.