WORCESTER — Happiness Pony — dubbed Worcester's Journal of Esoterica — is one of those decidedly odd local features: a single-sheet 'zine that you might find in a coffeehouse or being handed out for free at festivals such as stART on the Street or the New England Vegan Festival. The articles are all in wildly varying typefaces and character sizes, and could very well be on just about anything, from a poem to instructions on how to 3-D print a replica of the Worcester Common's Burnside Fountain, more commonly known as "Turtle Boy."

"The editorial philosophy is to make use of some of the unique artistic possibilities of the newspaper format," says Mike Benedetti, a Worcester activist who is one of the co-founders and editors of the 'zine. "A really good newspaper page is like a mobile, where items are not related in obvious way, but if you get the balance right, it's much bigger than the sum of its parts."

He says he wants pieces that are "interesting in contrast to each other," and there is undeniably something endearing about its quirkiness and unrelenting upbeat vibe. The 'zine has a definite cult following in the city, but after six years of monthly publication, a lot of readers have missed some large swaths of great stories. But now, some of the 'zine's "greatest hits" will be reprinted in a book, "The Spirit at Your Elbow: A Happiness Pony Quinquennial Reader."

"It has a lot of stuff about Worcester history," says Benedetti, who co-edited the book with Ali Reid and Jen Burt, "and a lot of stuff about food and a lot of stuff about 'Led Zeppelin IV.'"

The title derives from a line in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," where the haunted miser Ebenezer Scrooge, "found himself face to face with the unearthly visitor who drew them:as close to it as I am now to you, and I am standing in the spirit at your elbow."

The book can only be ordered through the 'zine's website, at www.happinesspony.com/book, and right now the plan is to accept orders until April 10. The books will then be printed and distributed at a release party to be held at WooBerry Yogurt on Highland Street later in the spring. Books cost $6 if you plan to pick it up at the party, $10 if you want it mailed. The books are being printed on demand, and only books that are ordered in advance will be printed, no more.

"The goal is to not make money," explains Benedetti, who points out that even though there are advertisements in issues of the 'zine, they don't actually accept payment for them. "We just run ads for things we like."