Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day [Hardcover]

Jamie Lee Curtis (Author), Laura Cornell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: July 31, 2007 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 250L (What's this?)

Today I feel silly. Mom says it's the heat.
I put rouge on the cat and gloves on my feet.
I ate noodles for breakfast and pancakes at night.
I dressed like a star and was quite a sight.

Today I am sad, my mood's heavy and gray.
There's a frown on my face and it's been there all day.
My best friend and I had a really big fight.
She said that I tattled and I know that she's right.

Silly, cranky, excited, or sad--everyone has moods that can change each day. Jamie Lee Curtis's zany and touching verse, paired with Laura Cornell's whimsical and original illustrations, helps kids explore, identify, and, even have fun with their ever-changing moods.

Here's another inspired picture book from the bestselling author-illustrator team of Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born and When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old's Memoir of Her Youth.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Jamie Lee Curtis has starred in many movies, but she says that the children's books she has written mean more to her than any of her films. She and artist Laura Cornell have previously collaborated on two bestselling books: Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born and When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old's Memoir of Her Youth. This time, we follow a little girl with curly red hair through 13 different moods, beginning with silly: "Today I feel silly. / Mom says it's the heat. I put rouge on the cat / and gloves on my feet." Of course, silly soon turns to grumpy and mean... to excited... to confused, and so on. Recognizing one's own mood swings is a developmental milestone, one that some adults haven't yet mastered! Cornell's watercolor illustrations--wildly expressive and energetic--effectively capture the volatility of our redheaded star. Whether she is happy or mad or dancing a solo in jazz, she is always "full of pizzazz," and this book is, too. A clever mood wheel on the last page allows young readers to change the little girl's expression--both her eyes and mouth. This is silly fun with a smart lesson for children from ages 4 to 8. --Marcie Bovetz

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born and When I Was Little may be disappointed in this third offering from the talented duo, which looks at the wide range of human emotions. A dynamic girl describes a different "feeling" per day?13 in all?and the ways in which each manifests itself ("Today I feel silly./ Mom says it's the heat./ I put rouge on the cat/ and gloves on my feet"). Curtis relays her upbeat message ("Moods are just something that happen each day./ Whatever I'm feeling inside is okay!") in verse that is largely sprightly, but doesn't always reflect the changes in mood that occur during the course of the day the girl describes. For example, "Today I am quiet, my mom understands./ She gave me two ice creams and then we held hands./ We went to the movies and then had a bite./ I cried just a little and then felt all right," suggests a variety of feelings other than simply "quiet." Occasionally rhyming couplets take the facile route ("Today I'm discouraged and frustrated?see?/ I tried Rollerblading and fell on my knee"), and the repetitive, driving rhythm doesn't allow the words to soar the way the illustrations do. The puckish artwork, still vintage Cornell, stars a curly red-headed girl whose near-neon surroundings (hot pink, lime green, fiery orange) change in intensity according to the emotion she expresses. A "mood wheel" (for readers to hone in their feelings) rounds out this amiable enough outing that, despite its missteps, may get readers talking about their own emotional swings. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; First Edition edition (July 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060245603
• ISBN-13: 978-0060245603
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.4 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (117 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > New Experiences
  • #65 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Family Life > Siblings
  • #66 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Emotions & Feelings

More About the Author

Jamie Lee Curtis is the author of eight best-selling children's books that address core childhood subjects and life lessons in a playful, accessible way. Jamie finds the inspiration for her writing all around her - in the experiences of her children, her godchildren, her friends - and of course in her own life. Her first book, When I Was Little, was sparked by her then-four-year-old daughter's boast that she was no longer "little." Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born, a celebration of adoption and the start of a new family, was inspired by the adoption of her own children. And as an author, of course Jamie loves big words and knows that words have power. Her latest book, Big Words for Little People, gives young children the knowledge and power of their own "big words." All of Jamie's best-selling picture books are illustrated by Laura Cornell: Big Words for Little People; Is There Really A Human Race?; It's Hard To Be Five: Learning How To Work My Control Panel; I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off A Little Self Esteem; Where Do Balloons Go? An Uplifting Mystery; Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods That Make My Day; Tell Me Again About The Night I Was Born; and When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old's Memoir of Her Youth. Jamie is also well known as a film actress, with starring roles in such acclaimed films as Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Freaky Friday, True Lies, Trading Places and A Fish Called Wanda. Jamie is the mother of Annie and Thomas and is married to actor/director Christopher Guest. They live in California.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect "ice breaker" for conversations about kid's feelings July 9, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

My family had been under quite a bit of stress recently. My husband's job promotion required us to relocate over 300 miles away from extended family; therefore this move was bittersweet. And, shortly after we were adjusting to our new home, our dog was run over by a car and killed instantly in front of our eyes. These two major changes in the lives of two small children, 2 and 4 year-old, stirred up a variety of feelings and moods that we needed to talk about. My husband and I are so greatful that this wonderful book, "Today I Feel Silly..." was suggested to read with our children in the recommended book listing included in the last chapter of "The Pocket Parent". Ms. Curtis explains that everyone has feelings that can change each day, from silly to angry to sad to glad. My kids love the fun verse and the lively illustrations that clearly demonstrate it's OK to have all kinds of feeings. The kids especially enjoy taking turns changing the facial expressions of the charcte! r on the mood-wheel to match how they are feeling at the moment. We identify the good and bad feelings with the correct word as they come up. I was amazed when my 2-year-old made a very unhappy face and blurted out, "I sad Mommy, miss Grandma." This book helps us acknowledge and talk further about our feelings when necessary. The kids ask to read it often. We highly recommend this book as well as "The Pocket Parent" to help address your concerns relating to young children in just the right way.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a Wonderful Way To Address Children's Feelings. October 3, 1999

By Marcia Trimble([e-mail])

Format:Hardcover

The illustrations of TODAY I FEEL SILLY AND OTHER MOODS THAT MAKE MY DAY are wonderful for the child who cannot yet read or who is independently spending a lot of time looking at the pictures. The moods jump right out of the pages and allow the child to relate to the feelings he or she might have and learn that they are normal feelings. Another title, THE SMILING STONE, also available from amazon.com, would be appreciated by teachers looking for books that build self-esteem for their theme lesson of feelings and emotions. It differs from "Silly Moods" in that it is about a single emotion but it is similar in that the child can have the feeling, too, as the book ends with the simple verse, "YOUR SMILE casts forever a beam of light". Children will be lucky to have teachers who pick these titles for their lessons and parents and children will have a starter library on this important subject.

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Great concept, but disappointing January 2, 2005

By D. Noll

Format:Hardcover

I love the concept of this book, and I think it's so important for kids to learn to identify and feel okay about their emotions, even negative ones. But, this book says it's for ages 4-8, and I found the references to a boyfriend and a crush on a teacher completely inappropriate. I was really disappointed, and those references changed my opinion of an otherwise great kids' book. Please read the whole book before buying it!