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A review by crystalisreading
The Bad Mood and the Stick by Lemony Snicket
2.0
This is a cute and funny book. Who doesn't understand that traveling/ shared bad mood? The poor stick was just along for the ride. The art is charming and evocative, especially of the moods. I think kids will think it's funny and perhaps it can start some good conversations about moods.
HOWEVER, there is a small element to the story that just bothers me more the longer I think about it. Among the various mood-altering calamities that happen, a (white) man gets his pants dirty. He goes to a dry cleaner to have the pants cleaned, and tells the (black) woman who runs the shop that he is going to take off the pants. She tells him no, but HE DOES IT ANYWAY. Then, once his pants are off, SHE DECIDES SHE LIKES HIM. I honestly don't mind that sort of wink, wink, nudge, nudge of risque humor to the adults reading the story, even in a picture book like this. But I have serious concerns about the implications of a woman saying no, a man doing it anyway, and then her deciding she likes him and being OK with what he did. I think it's creepy and problematic and plants the wrong ideas about consent and relationships in impressionable young minds. Because of that, I really can't in good conscience recommend the book, especially since it's not a page incident, like much of the book, but becomes a running theme in the rest of the story. Lemony Snicket, what were you thinking? Your book has put me a in a bad mood.
HOWEVER, there is a small element to the story that just bothers me more the longer I think about it. Among the various mood-altering calamities that happen, a (white) man gets his pants dirty. He goes to a dry cleaner to have the pants cleaned, and tells the (black) woman who runs the shop that he is going to take off the pants. She tells him no, but HE DOES IT ANYWAY. Then, once his pants are off, SHE DECIDES SHE LIKES HIM. I honestly don't mind that sort of wink, wink, nudge, nudge of risque humor to the adults reading the story, even in a picture book like this. But I have serious concerns about the implications of a woman saying no, a man doing it anyway, and then her deciding she likes him and being OK with what he did. I think it's creepy and problematic and plants the wrong ideas about consent and relationships in impressionable young minds. Because of that, I really can't in good conscience recommend the book, especially since it's not a page incident, like much of the book, but becomes a running theme in the rest of the story. Lemony Snicket, what were you thinking? Your book has put me a in a bad mood.