Anna Housley Juster’s new picture book spotlights joy on a smad day

Anna Housley Juster’s The Best Good Thing: Discovering Joy on a Very Bad, Smad Day arrives Aug. 11, 2026, with a simple message for children and adults: when feelings run high, looking for one good thing can help shift the day. The picture book blends emotion validation, community support and cognitive behavioral therapy concepts for families, schools and counselors.

Why it matters: - The Best Good Thing aims to give children a practical way to move through sadness and anger by spotting small moments of joy. - The picture book is positioned as a tool for families, schools and counselors as children head back to school and big feelings often return. - The story centers emotional validation and action, a mix that can help children feel seen without staying stuck in distress.

What happened: - Free Spirit Publishing is releasing The Best Good Thing: Discovering Joy on a Very Bad, Smad Day on Aug. 11, 2026. - Anna Housley Juster, an award-winning author and child and adolescent mental health clinician, wrote the book. - The story follows a young girl having a very bad day who tells her mom she feels “smad,” or sad and mad at the same time. - Mother and daughter walk through their neighborhood looking for one good thing. - The book is illustrated by Andrea Onishi.

The details: - The main character starts by doubting she can find anything good in her day. - She notices a single yellow flower reaching toward the sun, then begins finding more good things. - The search becomes an “I Spy” experience through bright illustrations and scenes of a diverse community supporting one another. - The book addresses emotion identification, emotional expression and a mother’s mirroring of her child’s feelings. - Housley Juster says the book introduces cognitive restructuring in a simple form by encouraging readers to look for just one good thing. - Cognitive restructuring is a core part of cognitive behavioral therapy, which is used with children, teens and adults. - The narrative also includes tips and activities at the back of the book. - Hunter Clarke-Fields, author of Raising Good Humans, calls the book a strong fit for parents trying to validate feelings while encouraging children to see the good in the world.

Between the lines: - The book taps into a broader need for children’s media that does not flatten hard emotions into cheerfulness. - Housley Juster frames connection as part of the healing process, not a side note, which gives the book a communal rather than purely individual message. - The emphasis on “smad” makes the emotional language accessible for young children who may not yet have precise words for mixed feelings. - The timing around the school-year transition gives the book a built-in use case when anxiety, stress and behavioral challenges can spike.

What’s next: - The Best Good Thing will be available wherever books are sold starting Aug. 11, 2026. - Families and educators can also look to Housley Juster’s earlier picture book, How to Train Your Amygdala, for more child-centered mental health support. - More information about Anna Housley Juster is available on the author’s website: More information.

The bottom line: - The Best Good Thing turns a tough-feelings moment into a simple coping strategy: look for one good thing, then let that small shift open the door to more.