★ "Snicket fans will love this book."― Kirkus Reviews, starred review New York Times bestselling author Lemony Snicket sheds light on the way bad moods come and go. Once there was a stick and a bad mood. The stick was on the ground, and the bad mood was with a girl named Curly. Lemony Snicket offers a refreshing and hilarious look at the ways in which a bad mood wreaks havoc as it moves from person to person, leaving an unexpected trail of surprise in its wake: opportunities for laughter, forgiveness and even love.   From a bestselling author and an acclaimed artist comes a witty and wise take on the emotional forces that impact our lives. PreS-Gr 2—Cause and effect get the Snicket treatment in this amusing tale. Because of the bad mood—visually represented as a frowning, multicolored cloud—Curly pokes her brother with the stick. Instead of following the familiar arc of her misbehavior, regret, and reconciliation, the story veers into unexpected territory: the poking completely cheers up Curly and the bad mood transfers to Curly's mother. (Parents will groan in utter recognition.) The bad mood and the stick then go on to affect other characters across the town, resulting in a wedding attended by "everyone in this book." All of this unfolds in the understated voice that Snicket does so well, particularly with the slyly funny repeated phrase "You never know what is going to happen." Forsythe's thickly outlined gouache, ink, and pencil illustrations add retro flair to the story. The various white- and brown-skinned humans resemble Peanuts characters with their heavy outlines, circular heads, and cartoonishly simple yet expressive faces. Pair with Fortunately by Remy Charlip and discuss predictions, or with Judith Viorst's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day for more on bad moods and their causes. VERDICT A cheerfully wacky read-aloud sure to brighten listeners' moods.— Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library * "Snicket fans will love this book."― Kirkus Reviews, starred review * "Expressive action-filled illustrations [will] make the reader giggle and frown."― School Library Connection, starred review "Snicket's quirky narrative voice and observations of events both great and lowly make this a fine readaloud--and a sure cure for a bad mood."― Publishers Weekly "A cheerfully wacky read-aloud sure to brighten listeners' moods."― School Library Journal "This light take on a negative feeling may be useful to adults working with children."― Horn Book "[ The Bad Mood and the Stick ] offers a playful way to talk about feelings we've all experienced."― Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Lemony Snicket had an unusual education and a perplexing youth and now endures a despondent adulthood. His previous published works include All the Wrong Questions , A Series of Unfortunate Event , The Dark , and Swarm of Bees .   Matthew Forsythe is the award-winning author and illustrator of the books, Pokko and the Drum and Mina . He was also the lead designer on the animated show , Adventure Time at Cartoon Network, and the Oscar-nominated film, Robin Robin . He lives in Los Angeles.