Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day

by Adriana Puckett

 

There is a lot to like about this book. It's snappy and the illustrations are marvelous. I am a sucker for color and there is delightful color and detail here to enjoy.

But just as challenging as it is for kids to express and handle their peak-and-valley emotions, is the task of successfully writing about these childhood highs and lows. Where this book struggles is the most important part, the language. Some phrases are awkward, too mature for the 4-8 year-old intended audience, or simply don't work. Take for example, "Today I am cranky, so nothing seems right. I have diarrhea and broke my new kite." Huh? Or the bad-mood day: "I forgot to feed Franny and water the fern./And the cocoa I'm making is starting to burn." Too mature for this age group. Other times the tenses are confusing.


Star Rating

3

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Tips

This is a great way to help your children develop a vocabulary about their feelings. They can learn to recognize words like "lonely," "discouraged,""joyful" and apply them to their current mood. Use this as a springboard to developing more language about moods. When watching a movie together, see if you can come up with new ways to describe a character's mood.

Pros

Learning to read body language is a valuable skill -- the angry face is "all pinched and red ear to ear."

A mood dial is included on the back page -- you can turn the moods and see how the girl's eyes and mouth change.

Cons

The awkward, forced, or inappropriate language noted above.

Book author

Jamie Lee Curtis

Illustrator

Laura Cornell

ISBN

0060245603

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