Shiny Happy People: A Children's Picture Book

R.E.M.'s hit song is brought to life in this joyful picture 
book celebrating friendship and togetherness.

"Shiny happy people laughing
Everyone around, love them, love them
Put it in your hands, take it, take it
There's no time to cry, happy, happy . . ."

Shiny Happy People is a heartwarming picture book whose story is told through the lyrics of R.E.M.'s joyful tune of the same name. "Shiny Happy People" appeared on the band's 1991 album Out of Time, and the song reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

With lyrics by R.E.M. and illustrations by Paul Hoppe, this picture book follows the unlikely friendship between a rabbit and a fox as they teach others about the joy of inclusion and acceptance. It is the perfect vehicle for R.E.M. fans to share a loving and positive message with children of all ages.

R.E.M. were a Georgia-born alternative rock band best known for their hits "Losing My Religion" and "Everybody Hurts." Founding members Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe played their first show on April 5, 1980, at a friend's birthday party in an abandoned church in Athens, Georgia. From that point forward until 2011, when they decided to call it a day, the band released fifteen albums, toured the world, won multiple GRAMMYs, two Billboard Music Awards, twelve MTV Video Music Awards, and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, leaving a lasting legacy of great songs that defined an era.

Paul Hoppe has illustrated various children's books, including Good Vibrations, with song lyrics by Mike Love and Brian Wilson; How Did Humans Go Extinct? by Johnny Marciano; Neymar: A Soccer Dream Come True by Mina Javaherbin; and The Woods, which he also wrote. His work has appeared in publications such as the New Yorker, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. During the summer, Hoppe teaches sequential art at the School of Visual Arts. His work has been honored by the Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts, and American Illustration, among others. Originally from Poland and raised in Germany, Hoppe works from a shared studio in the Pencil Factory in Brooklyn, and lives in Queens.

ShinYeon Moon is an illustrator, educator, and aspirational shiny happy person based in New York. She holds an MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts. Moon's work can be found in print and online publications as well as gallery exhibitions.