And the Pursuit of Happiness

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
~Abraham Lincoln

In May of 2009, I reviewed The Principles of Uncertainty and concluded with these words:

"In January of 2009, Maira Kalman started a new illustrated blog for The New York Times; the first entry chronicled her visit to Washington, D.C. for President Barack Obama's inauguration. I won't be disappointed if the author publishes a second graphic book based on the new blog in the near future."

And guess what? She did!

And the Pursuit of Happiness by artist and writer Maira Kalman is based on her blog and will be available as a book to the public on October 14, 2010. This new hardcover, illustrated book begins in January with the inauguration of President Barack Obama, and concludes in December with a chapter about our first president, George Washington. Each chapter features a calendar month and a different subject.

How can I do justice to this book? A traditional review would not work for such a book. And the Pursuit of Happiness by Maira Kalman is EXUBERANT! Unabashedly exuberant, joyful, and hopeful. It is confident.

It is a celebration of ideas and ideals, places, and people including:

President Barack Obama
HALLELUJAH !

Democracy
History
Diversity

The Military

"Everyone is beautiful. Everyone makes you proud. Everyone breaks your heart."
~And the Pursuit of Happiness, Maira Kalman

Abraham Lincoln (You may even develop a crush on this tall man, who loved Mozart's The Magic Flute--my favorite, too--and Shakespeare's Macbeth.)

George Washington (Apparently, his false teeth weren't wooden, but were made from hippopotamus ivory! Other myths are shattered as well.)

Thomas Jefferson (He changed the words of The Declaration of Independence from Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of "Property" to the pursuit of "Happiness".)

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (and women) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
~The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson (primary author)

Benjamin Franklin (He wasn't president, but he signed both The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution, became Ambassador to France, invented and created countless things and organizations, and is featured on the cover of this book! )

Susan B. Anthony (She challenged the law because she believed that women should vote.)

Eleanor Roosevelt (She confidently wore "improbable" hats.)

Washington, D.C. (Called "a mad frenzy of pink", full of energy and promise.)

New York City (I call it "New York City" for clarity, but a real New Yorker just calls it "New York". I grew up in Manhattan.)

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And the Pursuit of Happiness is also a celebration of the little things that make life sweet. The luscious, lemon layer cake. The fancy hats worn in the Baptist church. Perfect red eyebrows. In this spirit, I took a few photos of some of the little things, small pleasures, I noticed nearby:

A bright orange plate, a ripe avocado, and a nice, sharp knife

A pretty little pitcher from Mexico, a gift from a friend

Lovely glass jars of organic spices, found at Target(!)

Dazzling, sparkly eyeshadow (my favorite summer find from Sephora)

Maira Kalman's art is colorful, expressive, radiant--irresistible! She draws and paints and photographs in a way that is charming, fresh, and quirky. While reading her hand-printed prose I laughed out loud so often that I had to explain why to those within earshot (this book is so funny!). It was a very enjoyable experience to read And the Pursuit of Happiness, and I can’t wait to read it again! Classrooms should have this book on hand because it would be a wonderful way for students to learn about history in a lighthearted yet substantial way. It has the ability to make you fall in love with life again. It left me with a sense of joy and optimism. I LOVED IT!

"A city can be optimistic. Now I need to decide what it is that I will volunteer for. I will have something to do with making the city sparkling and shining."
~And the Pursuit of Happiness, Maira Kalman

Special thanks to Trish from TLC for sending me this remarkable book. For more reviews, please visit the other stops on TLC's And the Pursuit of Happiness book tour. Visit Maira Kalman's NY Times blog or website to view her distinctive art and illustrations.