Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day Reviews

• Perfect "ice breaker" for conversations about kid's feelings

  
  By on 2003-07-09
  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.
  
  

• Great book for kindergarten and first grade!

  
  By A2TF4J19G7U1CB on 2000-07-07
  This is a book about feelings and emotions. The main character is a little girl. The book follows her daily experiences, along with charting how she feels throughout these events. Feelings such as silly, angry, sad, confused, and excited are mentioned, along with events which trigger these emotions. At the end of the book, there is a page which says, "How do you feel today?" On the page opposite this, you will find an interactive page, in which the child can change the eyes and mouth of the picture to depict his/her feelings at that moment. It is an absolutely wonderful book. The illustrations are OUTSTANDING! They really bring the book to life! You will find yourself reading this book over and over again. It discusses family life and everyday events, which happen on a daily basis. Children can relate to this book because of this. They can use their background knowledge to relate the events in the book to the events in their lives. They can also compare her feelings to their own, and realize that everyone has feelings. This is a wonderful book to share with children and adults of all ages. I would definetely recommend this book to anyone.
  
  

• I can't agree with the enthusiastic reviews of this book!

  
  By on 1999-07-21
  Although my 2 year old loves this book, I don't like it at all, and I'm speaking as a huge fan of children's books. I think the text is amateurish and unevocative, the rhymes uninspired and forced. Rather than a discussion or exploration of feelings, the author offers a litany of events that produce certain moods. Furthermore, both the text and the illustrations present a little girl with the preoccupations of adulthood, or at least of adolescence. She doesn't like her curly hair, has a fickle "boyfriend," a crush on her teacher "named Mark" (since when do children call their teachers "Mark"?), and an obsession with adult-sized spike-heeled shoes, which she seems to be wearing in about half the pictures, except when she's running a relay race in a dress and flip-flops! The little girls I know live in playclothes and sneakers, but this one must spend her afterschool hours hunting rare treasures in vintage clothing stores. The illustrations are too chaotic for my child, but that's probably because the book is for older children. Although I like the idea of a book about feelings, I don't agree with the end of the book, that "moods are just something that happen each day." We're not just victims of some random Mood God. The book irks me because I think that were the author not a movie star, this book would never have seen the light of day, or at least, not in this draft.
  
  

• It's a Wonderful Way To Address Children's Feelings.

  
  By A3PEIDHZM2EB0N on 1999-10-03
  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.
  
  

• Great concept, but disappointing

  
  By A2EEZB0YIH5P0X on 2005-01-03
  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!
  
  
• Today I Feel Silly
  By AOHV0PJSAHQR4 on 2001-11-26
  This book is a delightful story about a young girl and the many different emotions she is feeling. Curtis does an excellent job of portraying a wide array of emotions, from jolly to confused to frustrated, making this a book that almost any child can relate to. The best part about thsi book is that Curtis not only lists different moods felt by the little girl in the story, but she also explains what causes those moods, which provides young children with a better understanding of their own emotions. For example, Curtis writes "Today I'm excited there's so much to do. I'm going to sell cookies and lemonade too. I'm starting a club to go clean up the park. And I've got a big crush on my teacher named Mark." Another strength of this book is the way Cornell uses the illustrations to enhance the written text. She does an excellent job of creating pictures that conv ey the emotions Curtis is writing about. On each page, you'll find a jpicture which shows actions or facial expressions related to the mood being described. Her vivid illustrations are not only present thoughout the story, but actually go from end paper to end paper, even on the title and publishing page. Finally, the only downfall of this book is the inconsistency in text layout. On each page, the text is placed in a different location and in a different pattern. This can make the story difficult for young children to read themselves, which makes this book more ideal as a read-aloud for young children.
  
  
• I Feel Like I Like This Book!
  By A3QYO76LD22QHT on 2006-09-30
  This is our second encounter with Jamie Lee Curtis as an author and like the first (Where do Balloons Go?) they loved it! In this book we join a little girl as she takes a whirlwind tour of 13 different emotions, each told in that same sing-song rhyme that appears to be a staple of Curtis' writing. The rhymes are brought to life with the same riot of color illustrations that really seem to appeal to young readers! The kids especially liked how the colors used changed with the moods while maintaining their vivid shades (there is nothing gloomy or lackluster about this book). At the very end, there is a large picture of the girl in the story with a set of wheels that the kids can turn to see a selection of moods which was quite humorous and led to much discussion between the kids about how they were feeling right then and what types of things that have happened before made them feel angry or silly...or whatever...so it was a light, fun read, but also a good way to get more in depth discussion of moods, how they just happen sometimes and what types of activities/events make you feel certain ways...you know...like what makes you angry or sad...what makes you happy or what do you do when you just feeling silly or blue? I think Today I Feel Silly is best as a read aloud book...and the larger the group of kids you're reading to the more interesting the conversation after can get! I'd recommend this in a heart beat! We loved it!
  
  
• Odd Age Range included
  By on 2003-10-01
  Bsically this is a terrific way for children to know they can express any feeling with or without a reason. However, why has Jamie Lee Curtis included wanting a boyfirend or having a crush on a teacher in a book aimed at 4 and 5 year olds? I hardly find that appropriate. Our culture jumps ahead much too quickly as it is. All of the children in our story hour were perplexed (not the book of my choosing for the story hour), and some wondered if they should have boyfriends etc. Forget it - let them be just "little kids" for a while. I returned my purchase. Other books are better.
  
  
• If you read to children you must get this book!
  By on 1999-11-05
  Brava To Ms. Curtis. This is a great book. With it's beautiful carefree and colorful illistrations,this book gives children an understanding and an acceptance of their own moods and feelings.It is beautifully done!
  
  
• Fun and funny book!
  By A1IKD6BDEE18CI on 2001-06-25
  What a fun book this is to read to kids! The rhymes are great and sure to bring giggles from young readers. There's surprising depth here; this is a book you will enjoy reading aloud again and again.
  
  
• An excellent book to teach children recognize their feelings
  By on 2000-03-19
  This is a beautiful book to share with young children who have difficulty to identify or recognize their own feelings and moods. I happen to live in the country where one's emotions and feelings are seldom addressed directly. This book helps me to show my daughter that it is ok to feel what she feels inside. My daughter wants me to read this book to her every night before bedtime. After reading it , she would tell me if today is a good day for her and why. The illustrations are beautiful and humorous. It really teaches the children that no matter what the mood is, life can still be fun and full of surprises.
  
  
• Good concepts - some execution problems
  By on 2000-01-11
  I had high expectations for this book after "Tell Me About...". Unfortunately, this book is not as good as it could have been. My daughter likes it, although I don't like some of the older child specific references, such as "having a crush on my teacher named Mark" - preschoolers and primary grade kids don't understand that, and I think it was inappropriate for younger readers. Also, the rhymes at times seem forced. But the last page, with the wheel of changing expressions, is the big failing, as it is frail, and breaks easily. The publisher needs to find a better way to put a hub on the wheel, because this method is NOT set up for industrial kid use, which of course is exactly what it gets. Mine needed repair after only a dozen or so readings, and my daughter is gentle with her books.
  
  
• My kindergarten kids love it
  By on 1999-09-24
  I teach kindergarten and my kids love this book. We stop on each feeling and take turns telling each other what makes us feel that way. We read it often and they never seem to get tired of it.
  
  
• She's obviously a Mom
  By AWXJ5O23VZ52N on 2000-09-24
  Just got this book as a gift. I Read this book to my 6 year old and her 6 year old girlfriend before bedtime. They giggled and smiled like they totally understood the emotions. I thought this book was great. Kids are moody and up and down from one moment to the next. Jamie Lee lets them know it's okay. I loved the illusrations too!
  
  
• I would have given it 4 stars, but my kids gave it 3.
  By A3ATTCCO32ZXET on 2004-08-07
  Today I Feel Silly is a rhyming book about a free-spirited little girl who narrates little stories about the days she feels different emotions - silly, angry, joyful, confused, discouraged, etc. The illustrations are fun and informal watercolors, and definitely well-matched to the warm tone that author Jamie Lee Curtis conveys. The main point of the story is a sort of "I'm okay - you're okay" message about how it's all right to feel all kinds of emotions, not just the positive ones.
  
  I picked up this book on a whim, mainly influenced by the fact that I like Jamie Lee Curtis from what little I do know about her as a person ( I know, bad, bad, bad). My overall impression is that it is cute and fun, but my kids didn't seem to respond much to it - this despite the fact that there's an interactive "emotion wheel" built into the last page. They fiddled with it for a bit and quickly ended up pulling the inner disc out of it in an attempt to see what was inside. I don't think it was put together with realistic kids in mind. Sigh.
  
  Well it was a nice effort Jamie, but I don't think we'll be looking into your other kids' books.
  -Andrea, aka Merribelle
  
  
  
• WE LOVE IT!
  By on 2000-03-19
  I don't know where to begin. The writing and the drawings jump right out at us. It allows us to understand the emotions that everyone goes through at one time or another. I enjoy it as much as my 4 year old son. Great gift idea.
  
  
• Silly good fun!
  By A1AUO4FIP0IYZ8 on 2000-09-12
  Another winner from the creative team of Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell. This book teaches kids about mood swings! It's quirky and funny but educational too.

  Use this book to help kids recognize what they are feeling. A must for the active child and hey, it goes over well with adults too. I'm looking forward to more!
  
  

• What a disappointment...
  By A1KJFQTCOILMV2 on 2000-01-19
  I find this book very chaotic, busy and unhelpful. I was so looking forward to introducing my young daughter to a book giving name to feelings and the examples given are not only too advanced for her, the pictures are not enjoyable to look at either!

  I'll continue to look for a book with the promises some of these reviews offered, but I do not recommend this particular one.
  
  

• Awesome Book
  By A15HNPR8IQX79W on 2002-01-14
  I really love this book. First of all, the illustrations are terrific. Take a real good look at each page; they'll really make you giggle! Dealing with emotions is a tough thing for kids and us adults too! It describes the day-to-day emotions of a little girl in her own words. It's SO MUCH FUN to read. My kids love to hear and see me act out the emotions, i.e. happy, sad, angry, thrilled! I think you'll love this book too!
  
  
• A Fun Book for All Ages
  By A2YFS5FPE9U10W on 2004-07-31
  I discovered this book while babysitting for two boys, ages 7 and 4. They chose it as their bedtime story and I read it to them in many different voices- louder, happier and faster on the cheerful days, slow and deeper on the bored or sad days. The kids absolutely loved it. And so did I! I have since bought four copies of the book. I gave two as gifts to 6 and 10 year old girls and one to my 21-year-old sister during a bad few weeks away at school. The fourth copy is archived in my own bookshelf. I have yet to meet a kid (from ages 4 to 23!) who has not loved this book. The younger kids love the pictures- there is always something new to discover in the unique, whimsical scenes. My sister and I laugh at the bad hair day and the clever rhyming. This is a book I will continue to buy and recommend to others. It's an absolute storytelling delight.
  
  
• Great Book for Kids
  By on 2006-04-25
  I recommend this great book for 4-8 year old children because its very cute and exciting. This book tells the story of a young girl expressing her different moods by the way she acts. This book helps children to learn that its ok to express yourself and to have different feelings about things. For example, when this little girl is silly she dresses like a star, and when she falls on her knee rollerblading she is very frustrated. This book would also be very enjoyable for kids. For example, this book is filled with many colorful illustrations making it fun for the children to look at the book. Also, the book has many crazy examples and is filled with many details. For example, when the little girl feels silly she puts rouge on her cat and gloves are her feet. This book can also relate to many kids and their feelings. For instance, when the little girl is left out on a play date she is very angry or when she is excited she sells cookies and lemonade. Children also often feel those ways when those incidents happen to them. All of these reasons are why this book is very fun and enjoyable for kids to read.
  
  
• DO I FEEL HAPPY,OR SILLY,OR GRUMPY, OR...?
  By A10Q8QZXZN8WIL on 2000-04-15
  This book is wonderful! My son and I love reading this book. It is not only entertaining due to the clever use of words, but also educational. Children have a great resource to understanding their moods. Ms. Curtis provides great examples of what a person undergoes when they are sad or happy, etc. in order for a child to identify with the character and in turn label their mood as well.
  
  
• This book, like all of Ms.Curtis's, is sure to be wonderful!
  By on 1998-09-22
  Those books of Ms. Curtis' which I have read to and with my daughter have delighted both of us. Neither of us find them too simple for her, nor are they in any way condescending towards a child's intelligence. I am an adopted child, and I found her book, "Tell me about the night..." to be touching and a great way to explain to my daughter how things worked. However, I do find the person who writes in to completely trash every contribution that Ms. Curtis has made to children's writings to be quite annoying. If you have that much time on your hands, why not try to make some kind of lasting and GOOD contribution yourself? The fact that you are writing terrible things about a book which hasn't even been released yet shows that you have little to do and little mind with which to do it. Get a hobby and see a shrink. I pity you the lack of self-worth that makes you attack other people. It is a sure sign of your own feelings of worthlessness. Ms. Curtis is no more perfect than anyone else, but she has entertained and cheered all ages through her performances and her books. All you can do is irritate people with your inane drivel. Perhaps your feelings of worthlessness are well-founded. Thank you again, Ms. Curtis, for all you have done.
  
  
• A funny way to learn about moods
  By on 2000-12-26
  This book is terrific. We received it as a Christmas gift and it is already a favorite of my son (age 4), who is just learning to verbalize his emotions.

  The book is about a little girl who shares with readers how the world appears to her when she is experiencing various moods. With its pleasantly rhyming prose and endearing illlustrations, I believe it sets up a warm and safe atmosphere for young readers as they learn to put a name to their feelings and learn that it is okay to sometimes feel sad or angry.

  My son also loves the cardboard face at the end of the book, which allows kids to select different eyes and mouths for the characters, depending on what mood they prefer.

  I recommend this book for all families!
  
  

• Laughed right along with the kids!
  By A98JXBAGJ8IPP on 2002-09-09
  This book is SO much fun! It's a great way to discuss emotions with young children that is fun and entertaining. The text flows with rhyme, and the illustrations are colorful and whimsical.
  5 stars!
  
  
• Great Book for divorced parents!
  By A3KV1T55L68NBT on 2003-03-22
  This book is wonderful!!It is funny and it rhymes.. for any and very emotional children! As I am a step mom. My step daughter had many mood issues.. I was amazed how she took to this book...she loved it!The first thing she noticed that the main charater was a girl.. she read it evry night! and she laughed at the pictures.. there is a mood wheel at the back of the book...she used it so much it broke! LOL...My husband thank me for getting this book for her...as she had SO many emotional problems and at 4 years old could not express them. She is 8 now ...and doing so much better.. I really think this book with the "mood wheel" helped.. in maybe a small way??!! But every little bit counts!! I respect Jamie Lee Curtis more so now....she understand...KIDS!
  
  
• Worth every penny
  By A267MAIUJH8DP4 on 2006-11-10
  I bought this book for my 3 year old daughter. She loves the book and wanted it read to her every night for bedtime. Now she "reads" it to me word for word. It is a great book to help explain to a young child the subtle differences between 2 moods and the dramatic differences between other moods. At the end of the book there is a wheel that allows the user to change the eyes and mouth to match each feeling in the book. If you buy the book you will not be disappointed!
  
  
• Reviewer from Colorado
  By on 2000-02-13
  My daughter loved this book. It helped increase her awareness of her own feelings. She now says "I feel frustrated, or How does she/he feel?".
  
  
• There are so many kinds of feelings...
  By AB89CY7JJUMJI on 2000-04-17
  This is a wonderful book that shows children the range of emotions a person can feel and helps them learn how to identify them in themselves! My preschoolers adored it!
  
  
• Excellent For "Grownups" Too!
  By on 2000-04-25
  I bought this book for a "grownup" friend, who didn't seem to quite understand that it was okay for people to have all sorts of emotions. This book is excellent, and straightforward with bright and vivid artwork to go along. Sometimes we must go back to learn childhood lessons in order to be good adults, this book is excellent for that!
  
  

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