Sad, Mad, Glad: A Day Full of Feelings

PreS-Gr 1–A young child (gender not given) with fairly light skin and black hair experiences a day full of emotions in this colorful picture book. A dull rainy day finds a child (baseball hat backwards, overalls) very bored until friends come over to play. As they build with blocks together, that child’s little sister joins them, bringing a new wave of emotions when she accidentally knocks over their blocks. As they go out to enjoy the sunlight that has replaced the rain, there is excitement, until a dog running towards them makes the child nervous. The younger sister surprises the protagonist by being brave, and as they end the day, the child is glad their mother, who cues Asian, is there to make them feel loved. Fun, vibrant colors create a joyful atmosphere as the boy and his diverse group of friends play together, while the changes made to facial expressions convey the feelings as they occur. Rhyming text describes friends, emotions, and their activities, with large colorful words in all caps sharing which emotion is in play. The story illustrates the very real way emotions, especially for young children, can come and go in the everyday moments of our lives, and show how a loving mother can help the children work through those emotions.