Udo Weigelt

The first page of the story is instantly relatable--probably to both kids and adults--as Badger wakes up in a bad mood but, instead of staying home or doing something to make himself feel better, goes out into the world and conveys his bad mood to everyone around him.
I had to laugh at Badger's internal dialogue while he's having breakfast and deciding whether to stay in or go out: "What is the point of being in a bad mood if nobody notices?"
Unsurprisingly, the bad mood spreads, and no one show more much wants to be around Badger after that. It's up to him to make things better. This is a well-illustrated children's book with a simple but strong message about the way our feelings can impact others and how to be a considerate friend even on a bad day.

Thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for this digital review copy. show less

The story's not too bad, a little didactic, but ok. A guinea pig learns that his fellow pets, a dog, goldfish, and canary, are his best friends, not an imaginary character on tv.

But the pictures are just...wrong.

All the animals look like they are in an advanced state of mold, except the goldfish, which looks like it has a serious case of mumps.

Now the dog is believable, I've seen dogs with that coloring, although I didn't think they were particularly attractive, but that's besides the show more point.

But the canary looks like someone splashed it with paint and then stored it in a cellar to dry and something went....wrong.

And the shape of the goldfish makes one wonder if it's really alive, or actually dead and stuffed...badly.
The guinea pig is the WORST. It looks more like a sloth (mold in the fur, you know?) or maybe really, really dirty. It's a weird shape - guinea pigs don't take well to standing up and waving a sword around - and its eyes are all wrong, as you can see in the picture. Guinea pigs have black, shoebutton eyes.

Let us refresh ourselves with a REAL super guinea pig from the Texas Rustlers Guinea Pig Rescue.

Verdict: The illustrations were so painful. I don't recommend even looking at this book if you can avoid it.

ISBN: 978-0802797056; Published September 2007 by Walker; Borrowed from the library show less

A lovely story, interesting for its own sake. But substitute a Border Wall for the river, and the story becomes all too timely. Read this to your children *before* they develop xenophobia.

4.5 stars rounded up to help the average.

What a wonderful book this is! A simple story with a fabulous message.

Badger has woken up in a really bad mood. (I so empathise with him. Mornings can be tough!) As he goes along his day, he rebuffs all friends who attempt to chat with him. While his mood improves as the day progresses, he realises that his friends are now in a grumpy mood, all thanks to him.

The story is written in simple prose and fairly easy vocabulary. Early readers should be able to handle the book independently as show more well. There are many expressive dialogues so this will be a treat for read-alouds. I loved the illustrations too. They are so vibrant! The animals are drawn in such an expressive manner that you can gauge their mood just by looking at them.

The only minor complaint I have is that the dissolution of Badger’s bad mood happens within the span of a sentence. It seemed too abrupt and kids wouldn’t really realise how there was a sudden turnaround in his feelings. This is where discussion with an adult would help. After all, we understand mood swings better than kids do and need to assist them on how to handle bad moods as a realistic and regular part of life.

I have a feeling this book is going to be useful for adults too, so don’t forget to read this along with your kiddos. It has a lesson that all of us need to remember. You might just save yourself (and others) from having a bad day. ;)

Heartily recommended for families, schools and libraries.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NorthSouth Books Inc. and NetGalley for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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