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libraryjen's review against another edition
1.0
One star for the illustrations, which are brilliant (I love the facial expressions and the cloud following everyone around). The idea is fabulous, to show kids how our bad moods can affect our actions which in turn affect the attitudes of other people. The execution is horrific! First we have people getting rid of their bad moods by either hurting others or watching something bad happen to others (e.g. a little girl pokes her brother with a stick and feels better, her mother watches a man fall in the mud and laughs at him then she feels better, etc.) But even worse is when a white man walks into a business owned by a black woman (called a Mrs. so presumably she's married) and strips off his pants, despite the fact that she tells him not to! Then, instead of being justifiably upset and calling the cops, the woman is so mesmerized by him in his underwear that all is forgiven and she eventually marries him. WTH?? Sorry, this one totally missed the mark and instead of just not recommending it, I HAVE to recommend AGAINST it.
vidoc's review
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wordnerd153's review against another edition
3.0
The kind of quirky story one expects from Snicket and a good story for talking to kids about cause and effect. Standing around in a dry cleaners in your underwear is a tad worrisome, though.
adrielleshay's review against another edition
1.0
The story is a nugget of a good idea that gets completely lost. Disjointed plot, a strange tone and none of the cleverness I'd hope for from Lemony Snicket. Unfortunately and inexplicably, casual racist misogyny is a major plot point.
trishajennreads's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful illustrations and cute story. The only part that felt a little strange was when the dry cleaner didn't get mad at the man who took off his muddy pants and stood in his underwear in her shop until she cleaned them. They then fell in love. ...the rest of it was great.
misha7094's review against another edition
2.0
Ummm.... okay this is weird, and not in a good way. I can’t quite decide what I think of it. I was a bit horrified that Curly, whose ice-cream-less day led to a two HOUR bad mood that was cured in the joy(?!) she felt upon poking her brother with a stick. Sounds scarily sadistic. But I think it’s a family trait because the poked brother gives her the evil eye rather than acting sad and the mother’s bad mood is lifted at some poor shmuck tripping and falling into mud. However maybe this is a small Cheers town (where everybody knows your name) and mommy knows “Lou” is actually “Wilbur” who is nicknamed “Lew” by the townspeople. Although “Lew” is just what they tell him his nickname is when it’s really just short for what they call him behind his back, Lewd Creeper Dude.” The page this gives me the real weird vibe is the page with lots of interesting Disney-style innuendos meant for the grown-ups enjoyment. Oye. I’m talking about the page where Lou/Lew is charming this lady who previously had a stick up her... I mean pencil behind her ear... and the wind is making random man’s flag...i mean tie... fly high. Thanks for an interesting addition to my school’s library JLG.
pumpkinspies's review against another edition
1.0
So the lesson of this book is that if you're in a bad mood, and you do something mean or rude or awful to someone (poke them with sticks, laugh when they fall in mud, strip in the middle of a business, order people around) it will make you feel so good that your bad mood will have to move on to someone else.
Oversimplified? Maybe. But this book was an actual train wreck. When a grown man strips down to his underwear (Even if the owner or whoever else was behind the counter hadn't expressly told him not to do so, it's clearly not acceptable behavior.) and demands immediate service without so much as a "please" and that's not even the biggest problem with the book... I can only say that this book got published because of the author's name, and not because it contributes anything to the world in general. It's not even good for a giggle. I was just annoyed.
The ice cream man and the stick are the only characters just living their lives, doing their thing, while insanity brews around them.
Oversimplified? Maybe. But this book was an actual train wreck. When a grown man strips down to his underwear (Even if the owner or whoever else was behind the counter hadn't expressly told him not to do so, it's clearly not acceptable behavior.) and demands immediate service without so much as a "please" and that's not even the biggest problem with the book... I can only say that this book got published because of the author's name, and not because it contributes anything to the world in general. It's not even good for a giggle. I was just annoyed.
The ice cream man and the stick are the only characters just living their lives, doing their thing, while insanity brews around them.
unabridgedchick's review against another edition
1.0
Problematic read (thanks to Books for Littles for naming what was bothering me): not only does this book seem to say one can only feel better if they foist their bad mood off on someone else, there's a really horrifying bit where a white man takes off his pants in front of a woman of color -- who tells him not to -- and they later marry. I know it's supposed to be cutesy, but in this moment where we're discussing sexual assault and harassment, that scene just felt like evidence of how insidiously easy it is to dismiss women.
stephb413's review against another edition
4.0
A meaningful little read about emotions and trying to make sense of them. Beautiful illustrations as well.