Mad at Mommy

PreS-K—Sitting alone at the breakfast table while his mother sleeps in, a young rabbit begins to list his grievances: Mommy always sleeps late, never lets him watch cartoons, yells for no reason, is late picking him up from school, and says that she can't marry him even when he gets bigger. "So I'm really mad at you, Mommy," the little rabbit announces, "So mad I'm gonna LEAVE. I'm going someplace far, far away. GOOD-BYE." After two wordless spreads, where the clock indicates that only five minutes have passed, he returns to ask if his mother missed him. She replies with a reassuring "SO much!" With a sparsely worded text, the simple, muted watercolor illustrations, outlined with soft charcoal, communicate most of the emotions and provide the rest of the story. Like Anna Dewdney's Llama, Llama Mad at Mamma (Viking, 2007), this Japanese import, a follow-up to The Snow Day (Scholastic, 2009), conveys the sweet and satisfying message of a mother's unconditional love. Perfect for one-on-one sharing and for generating a discussion about feelings, self-expression, and forgiveness.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL