“The Bad Mood and The Stick” by Lemony Snicket and Matthew Forsythe
This book is a bunch of fun! It tells two parallel tales, one of a stick and one of a bad mood, that cross paths. Each one goes through a series of events that almost seem arbitrary and each one has a different influence on those around it. I love the juxtaposition of the two tales so much and all the reflection on moods and personal accountability that they induce. This is one of those books that can be incredibly thought provoking if you’d like it to, or purely entertaining and light. Either way you read it, it is sure to be a hit!
Also, I feel that I cannot go without mentioning how beautiful the illustrations are. I love the expressions on each of the characters and the color palette is so dreamy that it makes you think of cotton candy. (Plus the endpapers are fantastic!!!)
Click here to purchase “The Bad Mood and The Stick” *affiliate link
My kids and I loved the “bad mood” cloud in this book so much that of course we felt inspired to make our own. And, of course, watercolors seemed to be the perfect medium of choice. They take only minutes to make and we were thrilled with the results.
Supplies:
- watercolors, paint brush, water
- watercolor paper
- scissors
- black marker
Process:
- Using watercolors, paint strokes of different colors all over your watercolor paper. Then allow it try dry.
- Cut out a scallop edge around your paper to create a cloud.
- Using a black marker, draw a grumpy face.
Extension idea: Invite your kids to create multiple clouds or simply to draw different expressions for different moods on your clouds. If you are woking with a group of children, have them guess which mood/emotion each other’s clouds represent.
If you give this Beyond the Book activity a try I’d love to hear how it goes! Share it on Instagram using hashtag #beyondthebook (I’m on Instagram as @book.nerd.mommy) or even just comment here with your thoughts. It would make my day! Or to simply save for later pin the image below.
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