When Dog gets a new spotted coat he quickly decides he does not like it, but every time he tries to get rid of the coat it comes back to him.

What makes us authentically happy? It's not wealth, youth, beauty, or awards. Buettner identifies the happiest regions on different continents and explores why their populations report being happier than others.

Mr. Aster, who likes routine, is happy to care for Little Green Girl when she arrives in his garden, but not interested in helping her see the world beyond its walls.

The day before Christmas, everyone in Jose's neighborhood seems grumpy, including his mother who is homesick for Puerto Rico, but when he and his parents return from the pizzeria where they borrowed an oven to cook their roast, the heavenly aroma remindsthose they pass of all they have to celebrate.