Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry), by Gary Golio

Image provided by Candlewick Press

If there’s a children’s book about a classic film star, you better believe I’m going to pick it up as soon as I can. 

I’m always on the lookout for books about classic films and their incredible stars, so when I saw that award-winning author, Gary Golio was releasing a children ’s book on Charlie Chaplin, I was thrilled. I knew this was something that my nieces and nephews were going to be drawn to and it would be a book I could easily share with them.  Classic and silent film is my passion and one of my favorite things so if I can find a way to share that with the special people in my life, you better believe I’m going to get excited about it. 

Smile: How Young Charlie Chaplin Taught the World to Laugh (and Cry) is one of the most beautiful children’s books I have seen. Illustrated by Ed Young, the book tells of Chaplin’s early and painful years in London through his time on stage and then his introduction into film. Golio doesn’t sugar coat it, but he tells in a kid-friendly way the hardships that Chaplin had to face in his life as he worked his way to Hollywood. 

If you’re introducing the special children in your life to Chaplin or if you’re like me and you want to give your child more information on the Little Tramp this book is the perfect gift. It’s the most in-depth look into Charlie Chaplin’s early life than any other children’s book I’ve come across.  

When my son was younger, I found it hard to get him to sit down and listen to stories of these characters I adored. Smile pairs a wonderful tale that brings a lyrical quality to the story and beautiful illustrations that will capture any little and not so little one's attention. 

Thank you to Candlewick Press for the review copy! 

Smile is on sale March 26, 2019.

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