In The House That Jack Built illustrated by J.P. Miller (1954, 1982), every character is smiling, except a few chickens, the rat, and the dog. I'm referring to a Little Golden Book Classic. This book is a happy-go-lucky rendition of a story in the public domain. With blueprints in hand, Jack builds a small house. As he stands on a ladder to hammer the roof, his tools are scattered on the ground. The cat chases a rat, sits in a tree to escape the dog, and smiles as the dog sails through the air (tossed by the cow). The man all tattered and torn serenades the maiden with his guitar as she stands blushing on the opposite page. The dog is beside them as they await the arrival of the priest riding up on his bicycle. On the last page, Jack and the maiden are in the house living happily ever after.
I compare this book to Randolph Caldecott's version here.
