Saxton Freymann

Oh my god I LOVED this book. I have such fond memories of it. Even after I'd read it a hundred times, I would thumb through it if I felt angry or sad and let the emotional fruits and veggies cheer me up. Lovely little book that I still remember all these years later.

I liked Fast Food by this same creative team with all it's fun and clever vehicles, but the focus on faces here leaves me a bit perturbed. Most of the emotions in this book of moods are negative, so I'm staring at a lot of unhappy and angry fruit and vegetables. Many of them seem downright evil in their expressions. And even the happy faces seem a bit creepy.

Frankly, my mood is worse after reading this book than it was before.

But my daughter liked this book when she was three, so probably show more other kids will too. show less

"How are you when friends drop by? / With someone new...a little shy?"

Some photographs from this book were featured in the Eric Carle Museum's exhibit CLICK!, and the book is so funny and good, with fruits and vegetables carved into creative shapes and expressions and given bean eyes. A cute and clever way to talk about feelings!

See also: Claymates by Dev Petty/Lauren Eldridge (for the art), Happy Hippo, Angry Duck by Sandra Boynton (for the moods)

How Are You Peeling? is a vibrant and engaging text that strives to teach emotional intelligence. The book discusses different scenarios and feelings that could be associated with them. The book is vibrantly illustrated with food sculptures done by the author. The illustrations help to show what these emotions could look like but helps to make a seemingly serious topic lively and fun. One quote I like from the text is "Do you let your feelings show? Who do you love? How do they know?" I show more think books like this are so important because developing a sense of emotional intelligence and self reflection is so important for everyone and How Are You Peeling? does it in a silly and child friendly way. show less