Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! Today’s featured book will delight everyone who has ever had a birthday…YES! That’s you and you and you! And when author Rachelle Burk told me about her newest picture book, I just knew I had to share it with all of you.

What a joyous cover! And children hear this song from the time they are infants…what a wonderful idea for a book! And the lovely Rachelle was kind enough to stop by to share a bit about the book and what inspired her to write it.
ME: Welcome, Rachelle! Thank you for writing this amazing book…and thank you for stopping by to chat with us.

RACHELLE: It’s my pleasure, Vivian. Thank you for having me. Here’s a little bit about the book and then I’ll share what inspired me to write it.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU: THE SISTERS WHO WROTE THE MOST FAMOUS SONG IN THE WORLD 

(Creston Books, September 9, 2025) ISBN-13.  ‎978-1954354340. by Rachelle Burk, Abigail Lashbrook, illustrator.)

synopsis/summary

Patty and Mildred Hill are the most famous composers that most people have never heard of. 

These are the two sisters who came up with the “Happy Birthday to You!” song in an effort to make something all children could easily sing at birthday parties. What they ended up with was an iconic song the whole world would love.

“Happy Birthday to You!” has been sung to presidents and kings, on big stages and in outer space. And it all started in a kindergarten classroom with a teacher coaxing her children to sing an easy tune all together!

What inspired me? 

I subscribe to a lovely daily email newsletter called Nice News. One day it included a brief article about Mildred and Patty Hill, the Kentucky sisters who wrote the “happy birthday” song. Like most people, I had never given any thought to who wrote that song, or when. It seemed to have simply existed forever! I was fascinated with the story, and knew kids would be too. I discovered that there were no children’s books currently in print about these extraordinary women, so I jumped on it! 

Writing the story was a bigger challenge than I expected. Internet details about the sisters are often contradictory or completely incorrect, and reliable information is not easily accessible. I struck gold when I discovered a lengthy research paper by a law professor about the copyright of the song which contains a significant amount of background information on the Hill sisters, including invaluable source notes. He generously provided me with several important documents, and the rest I acquired from  university archives.

The lives of the sisters (beyond the song) are so fascinating that I added a great deal of back matter in the book. For example, Patty Hill sued Irving Berlin for using the song in one of his plays without permission or paying royalties. But she donated all the money won in the lawsuit to education for poor children.

Midwest Book Reviews: A wonderfully illustrated and engagingly informative picture book on how the universal birthday song, “Happy Birthday to You” came to be created, this hardcover edition of “Happy Birthday to You!: The Sisters Who Wrote the Most Famous Song in the World” from Creston Books is a unique and unreservedly recommended pick for family, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 6-11.

BIOS
Rachelle Burk is the author of more than twenty-five fiction and nonfiction books for children. She also enjoys adventure, and is a scuba diver, hiker, and caver. Rachelle loves to visit schools around the country with her author visit and storytelling programs. https://rachelleburk.com

Facebook/Instagram:  @rachelleburk

Illustrator Abigail Lashbrook (https://www.abigaillashbrook.com) studied art in New York and San Francisco, both fine art and illustration. She brings both skills to her work in picture books.

Available at: 
Amazon
B&N
or your favorite indie store

WOW! Thank you so much for sharing all of this, Rachelle! I know that readers of this blog will enjoy hearing about how you discovered the topic for your story…and how you dug deep to uncover enough info to create this wonderful book!
Dear friends…please help this book become a success – you can do it!
Buy the book
Review the book
Tell friends about the book (Please share on your social media)
Ask local libraries to purchase copies for their collection!

Thank you for spending your precious time with us. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.