Grumpy Bird

Bird wakes up in a bad mood, as we all do every now and then, and he proceeds to be grouchy as he walks around instead of flying; he's too cranky to fly! He storms past his friends but they each join him on his walk, not that Bird cares very much at all. He’s too grumpy to appreciate the company. He becomes increasingly sarcastic and grumpier as more of his friends come along for the walk. His friends seem to be adorably oblivious of his bad mood as they start into an impromptu game of Follow the Leader that lifts Bird’s mood, especially since he’s the leader!

I like the style Tankard used to draw the animals; they are all a distinct color, setting them apart from each other and giving them their own little personality. And I love how Bird looks like he’s wearing Converses! This is a great book for a kid who needs a jolt out of a bad mood, or for any kid who seems to have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.

If you use this book for story time, it’s fun to have the kids stand up and do the same actions as the characters once you get to the part where they’re basically playing Follow the Leader. Also, this book gives you the opportunity to use a bunch of different voices and accents when reading it aloud since there are multiple characters.