HappyDance Books · A small US publisher
The coloring books the research would design
We read about fifty peer-reviewed studies before we drew a single fish. Then we built the book those studies pointed to. We also wrote down every claim we decided we couldn't make.
What we hold every book to
Every book we make has to clear the same bars before it goes anywhere near a printer.
Verifiable facts
We never print a claim the research can't back. Every developmental statement on this site traces to a peer-reviewed source, and we publish the ones we decided not to make.
Very high fidelity art
Every character is drawn by hand in one house style, from original artwork we build ourselves. No stretched clip art, no two faces the same.
Consistent themes
One recognizable style across every book, so a shelf of HappyDance books looks like it belongs together.
The first book
Splash!
Trace, Color & Draw · My First Ocean Activity Book
An ocean of friendly faces to trace, color, and draw. Bold lines for little hands, growing finer as the book goes on.
Why we made it this way
Some of what people say about coloring holds up. Some of it doesn't, and a few of the most repeated claims have no evidence behind them at all. A parent should be able to tell which is which.
So we published the whole research foundation, graded by strength of evidence.
Books for classrooms
When one of our books sells, a share of it pays for free books for classrooms that ask.
The first book is still at the printer, so nothing ships yet. Teachers can join the list now.