Thank you NetGalley for this early copy of The Bad Mood. I enjoyed this book, and I felt that it gave a good lesson of kids understand how their moods and how they treat others will affect others. I think this would be a great object lesson book in a classroom.

What a wonderful book this is! A simple story with a fabulous message.

Badger has woken up in a really bad mood. (I so empathise with him. Mornings can be tough!) As he goes along his day, he rebuffs all friends who attempt to chat with him. While his mood improves as the day progresses, he realises that his friends are now in a grumpy mood, all thanks to him.

The story is written in simple prose and fairly easy vocabulary. Early readers should be able to handle the book independently as well. There are many expressive dialogues so this will be a treat for read-alouds. I loved the illustrations too. They are so vibrant! The animals are drawn in such an expressive manner that you can gauge their mood just by looking at them.

The only minor complaint I have is that the dissolution of Badger’s bad mood happens within the span of a sentence. It seemed too abrupt and kids wouldn’t really realise how there was a sudden turnaround in his feelings. This is where discussion with an adult would help. After all, we understand mood swings better than kids do and need to assist them on how to handle bad moods as a realistic and regular part of life.

I have a feeling this book is going to be useful for adults too, so don’t forget to read this along with your kiddos. It has a lesson that all of us need to remember. You might just save yourself (and others) from having a bad day. ;)

Heartily recommended for families, schools and libraries.

4.5 stars from me.


Thank you to NorthSouth Books Inc. and NetGalley for the ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short children’s book all about a Badger who was in a bad mood and took it out on his friends— thus they all ended up in a bad mood.

I liked the message this provided— that just because you’re in a bad mood, doesn’t mean you have the right to take it out on your friends or anyone really. It was nice to see Badger apologize by the end. I do wish it had been a tad longer so that kids could really see the forgiveness Badger ended up with but overall, this was cute! The art was super adorable!

3/5⭐️

I like the overall story because of the message that it gives, one person's bad mood shouldn't be passed onto everyone and give them a bad day. This story has spread the message quite well and it would be a great way to teach children that there's no shame in saying you're sorry after you know you were wrong.

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for an ARC of The Bad Mood. This is such a good choldren's book about feelings, mood, and how attitudes can be contagious. I loved the overall message, and I can see this being a book that starts good conversations with young ones about how to control their big feelings. The illustrations are fantastic too!

Pros: When I saw the cover and title of this book, I knew I had to read it . . . even though it’s a children’s book. 2020 and 2021 have been very challenging years, and most, if not all, adults I know have had days where they are in “The Bad Mood.” I thought this book might be a fun gift to send to friends as we live through our bad moods together. I especially loved that Badger’s mood changed when he worked in his garden because so many people I know (myself included) go outside to garden or take a walk when we need an attitude adjustment. Not only did I love and relate to the story (we’ve all had days like Badger’s day!), I thought the illustrations were fantastic. I can see them as prints and pieces of art.

Cons: The only con I can think of is that this book was difficult to read on the NetGalley app, which is no fault of the book. I think this will be a beautiful book to read in print.

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books Inc for the opportunity to read this book.

The Bad Mood is the story of a grumpy badger and the bad mood he manages to spread to all of his friends. This book was very cute, but also had a great message for children about how their actions/moods can effect those around them. Badger’s bad mood is contagious and spreads to all of his friends when he is rude to them. At the end, he sees that he made a mistake in their treatment and apologizes. This story would be great to help children understand the importance of apologizing when they are wrong.

The illustrations for this book were beautiful. I loved all of the colors and the woodland animals were beautifully drawn. The story was easy to understand and there wasn’t too much text on the pages. Perfect for story time!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this cute book.

Thank you #Netgalley for The Bad Mood by Moritz Petz in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book and it was perfect for how our household has been the last few days. It's amazing how contagious bad moods are, like yawns, only not as fun. I can't wait to share this book with my niece and nephew, a good lesson for the little ones, and the grownups. Very cute book and I loved the illustrations too.

A cute little book that had me smiling to end, and yes, I know, Badger was rather rude, but he was amusing also. This story teaches kids that being in a bad mood doesn’t give them the right to be rude to others especially, their friends. This was an enjoyable, fun story that would put a smile on your kids’ faces.

We've all woken up in a bad mood! I love that this book explains what a bad mood is like while also talking about turning it around. The illustrations are gorgeous as well!

The Bad Mood is a tale about a Badger who wakes up in a bad mood. Instead of trying to do something to change his mood, he takes it out on all his friends, putting everyone in a bad mood.

First of all, the artwork in this book is gorgeous! I loved the drawings so very much. I thought the text was a little small though. Also, there were some difficult words in there. I don't think this was a bad thing though. I think these difficult words could be used to help teach children vocabulary.

I liked this book because it teaches children not to take their bad mood out their friends. I think I would have liked it a lot more if Badger could have talked about his feelings a little more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I loved the beginning of this story, thinking that I know plenty of little (and grown-up!) ones that could relate to that feeling of waking up in a bad mood. I could see kids laughing and loving this tale of a bad mood badger. But, then the story veered into a moral tale about how we spread our bad moods. If that's what you're looking for, then this book is great for you! I was hoping more for a story that balances the need for kindness with the fact that it is absolutely okay to be in a bad mood sometimes! I'm not sure that the acceptance of our different moods came from this tale.

"The Bad Mood," written by Moritz Petz and lovingly illustrated by Amélie Jackowski, tells the tale of a tempestuous Badger who learns that actions taken in anger have consequences. Badger's mood is temporary, but by the end of the story, he owes an apology to the whole neighborhood.

For all its charm, "The Bad Mood" does not quite deliver upon the promise of its title. From the first several pages, I expected Badger would have to learn coping mechanisms to control his anger, or direct that anger more constructively. Instead, the story takes a hard left turn, as Badger's titular mood dissolves away in one short paragraph. While parents will recognize in Badger the ephemeral nature of their child's moods - both positive and negative - this proves a jarring moment in the story, and readers are left to adjust their expectations without warning.

Be that as it may, "The Bad Mood" provides an important moral for all of us: our attitudes can be infectious. Read "The Bad Mood" to your children to get this essential point across, and be sure that the kids examine each colorful image before turning the page.

Oh this was completely adorable I loved this. I love children’s books and I love searching for new ones to see what my nephews will enjoy and what appeals to them. And did this appeal to them! They loved this, so much so that I re read a few times. We all loved this and laughed and smiled throughout. This was perfect!

This is a beautiful message and I think in the pandemic rings true with how fast moods can spread in person or on social media and how we can affect others and control the temperature of our environment. Very powerful message I was happy to read and I hope children can see as well!

Oh, this was good! I think it is the perfect story to show young kids how a bad mood can spoil everybody's day. It also offers a nice way to mke oneself and everyone around them happy! I'd recommend it to anyone with kids 8 and under. Illustrations are wonderful!

Bad moods really are contagious!

This is a great story for children that is an entertaining story that shares life lessons in a palatable way for youngsters. First, we see that misery loves company. Just like Badger, we subconsciously want everyone to feel miserable when we do. And we often take out our bad feelings on those we're closest too and therefore feel safest with. We see the natural consequences of these actions in the book but also see an appropriately succinct resolution.

The artwork is beautiful, the story is easy to follow while imparting wisdom, and a great way for parents and caregivers to teach children through story! I recommend.

This is short children’s book about Badger who is in bad mood snd than put his friends in bad mood but does not realise he has done it and they start being mean to him snd then he realise what he has done snd what’s to do something nice for them. The illustrations are really good and colourful. I like there was lot of writing and it was really easy to read. I think children will enjoy this book and it teaches them that it’s easy to put other people in bad mood when your grumpy.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

3.5 stars

The Bad Mood by Moritz Petz is an enjoyable children’s story. I think it would be appropriate for students third grade and under. It uses the character of a cranky badger and other animals to teach kids that how they act affects how others treat them. It is simple, but effective. I think a school librarian or teacher would like to have this book as part of his/her classroom library. Parents could also use this book with their children as well as a way to open up and guide discussions on how to handle feelings and interact with other kids.


I was invited to read an ARC of The Bad Mood, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #TheBadMood #NetGalley

This is a very attractively-designed look at a badger who gets up the wrong side of the bed, and in trying to make sure all his fellow animal friends know he has a bad mood, puts them all in one too. To the extent that when he wants his friends, he finds himself alone. The lesson here, that even if you just want to pass on knowledge of your bad mood, it's going to help nobody, is an important one for many youngsters to get their head around, and the crisp, colourful art has many, many appealing qualities. A strong four stars.