The Bad Mood and the Stick

New York Times bestselling author Lemony Snicket sheds light on the way bad moods come and go.

Once there was a bad mood and a stick.

The stick appeared when a tree dropped it.

Where did the bad mood come from?

Who picked up the stick?

And where is the bad mood off to now?

You never know what is going to happen.

PreS-Gr 2—Cause and effect get the Snicket treatment in this amusing tale. Because of the bad mood—visually represented as a frowning, multicolored cloud—Curly pokes her brother with the stick. Instead of following the familiar arc of her misbehavior, regret, and reconciliation, the story veers into unexpected territory: the poking completely cheers up Curly and the bad mood transfers to Curly's mother. (Parents will groan in utter recognition.) The bad mood and the stick then go on to affect other characters across the town, resulting in a wedding attended by "everyone in this book." All of this unfolds in the understated voice that Snicket does so well, particularly with the slyly funny repeated phrase "You never know what is going to happen." Forsythe's thickly outlined gouache, ink, and pencil illustrations add retro flair to the story. The various white- and brown-skinned humans resemble Peanuts characters with their heavy outlines, circular heads, and cartoonishly simple yet expressive faces. Pair with Fortunately by Remy Charlip and discuss predictions, or with Judith Viorst's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day for more on bad moods and their causes. VERDICT A cheerfully wacky read-aloud sure to brighten listeners' moods.— Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library

* "Snicket fans will love this book."―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Expressive action-filled illustrations [will] make the reader giggle and frown."―School Library Connection, starred review

"Snicket's quirky narrative voice and observations of events both great and lowly make this a fine readaloud--and a sure cure for a bad mood."―Publishers Weekly

"A cheerfully wacky read-aloud sure to brighten listeners' moods."―School Library Journal

"This light take on a negative feeling may be useful to adults working with children."―Horn Book

"[The Bad Mood and the Stick] offers a playful way to talk about feelings we've all experienced."―p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px Times}Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Lemony Snicket had an unusual education and a perplexing youth and now endures a despondent adulthood. His previous published works include All the Wrong Questions, the thirteen volumes in A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Composer is Dead, and 13 Words.