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A review by lattelibrarian
The Bad Mood and the Stick by Lemony Snicket
3.0
So, apparently this book has a lot of controversy around it, which makes me a little apprehensive to review it since I initially enjoyed my read through this book? So I guess I'll start with that. There's that illustration, featuring a white man in a bad mood who disrobes in front of a dry cleaning lady, who is a woman of color. Wow, talk about problematic. However, I just want to raise a quick word about how this image made it all the way through to publication. Let's be clear: Lemony Snicket did not illustrate this. Matthew Forsythe did. And likely, he was the one who made the decision--intentional or not--to make the dry cleaning lady a woman of color. Illustrators and authors rarely meet, only communicating through the editor or designer of the picturebook. And, it's that designer or editor who typically chooses the illustrator. Of course, given that it's Lemony Snicket who authored this book, he's gonna have the final say. Which, maybe the implications of that illustration just went under his radar because as a white man, he's not "trained" to see those things. I'd like to think that. Of course, he should be trying to look for this stuff in his picturebooks anyways, but...okay. This is a review on the book, not him.
Also, the other critique I've been seeing is that this book teaches children that bad moods can go away if you're mean to someone. Which...I didn't get that from this book, but hey, we all read things differently.
Mostly, I just found this book as a silly way to show that bad moods happen to everyone, and that there can be a multitude of ways to get rid of it. And by showing that a variety of bad moods and things that change it helps children empathize and learn why others may be acting a certain way.
However, taking into account many other critiques and review of this book, I do have to say that I think this book tried to teach children how bad moods operate in a fun and silly way, but ultimately failed to do so. Which is a bummer.
Review cross-listed here!
Also, the other critique I've been seeing is that this book teaches children that bad moods can go away if you're mean to someone. Which...I didn't get that from this book, but hey, we all read things differently.
Mostly, I just found this book as a silly way to show that bad moods happen to everyone, and that there can be a multitude of ways to get rid of it. And by showing that a variety of bad moods and things that change it helps children empathize and learn why others may be acting a certain way.
However, taking into account many other critiques and review of this book, I do have to say that I think this book tried to teach children how bad moods operate in a fun and silly way, but ultimately failed to do so. Which is a bummer.
Review cross-listed here!