What to do about: The Bad Mood

by Moritz Petz

Badger wakes up in a very, very bad mood. But…he decides to go out any way. Badger shares this mood by being a bit mean and rude to his friends. Later, when he feels better, he makes amends. That is the gist of this children’s story that has sweet illustrations.

I like that Badger sees that his mood changes over the course of the day. This is a helpful message for a grumpy kid. What I liked less was that there was no initial understanding or acknowledgment for how he felt given to Badger. The focus was more on his rudeness. However, I think kids should be applauded for being able to identify their emotions and helped to cope with them.

Maybe this is too much criticism for a kid’s book but I think that the adult who reads this with a child should spend a few extra minutes talking about moods and how to cope with them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.