The Best Children's Books of the Year 2014, Bank Street College On "Mood Monday," students describe their moods after the weekend. But Theo doesn't know what to say because he has a new baby sister and is feeling so many emotions all at once. It's Mood Monday and Miss Cady's class is sharing how they feel after the weekend. But Theo doesn’t know whether he’s in a good mood or a bad mood. He has a new baby sister, and he isn’t just happy like Eric who got a new bike or sad like April who lost her dog. As Theo’s classmates discuss all their feelings, he realizes he’s not in a good mood or a bad mood―he’s both those things! PreS-Gr 1–Although there are many books about adjusting to the arrival of a new sibling, this one offers a fresh approach. It's “Mood Monday” in Miss Cady's class, a day when the children describe both how they are feeling and why. Theo announces that his mother had a baby over the weekend. When asked how that makes him feel, he can only respond, “I don't know.” The other youngsters describe their experiences. Eric is happy because he got a new bike; Lily is jealous because her sister won another trophy; Ameen is afraid because he got lost in the mall; and other children are sad, mad, and proud. Theo finally realizes that he has all of those emotions: he is happy because Grandma is staying for a week, jealous because now Mommy has no time to play, afraid because he doesn't want to drop the baby, and so on–but most of all he is proud to have a sister. It's refreshing to see that his classmates are supportive and help him to understand that mixed emotions are part of being a big brother. It's also refreshing that the children are encouraged to express their feelings, both positive and negative. The illustrations feature clean white space and simple lines and capture each child's emotion perfectly. With his argyle vest and cowlick, Theo is a charmer. This picture book could be used as a springboard for a discussion of emotions in general.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "Cocca-Leffler's friendly mixed-media illustrations telegraph each child's emotions clearly, and her story underscores the idea that good and bad moods aren't mutually exclusive."― Publishers Weekly "The situations his classmates describe are all easily relatable for preschoolers, and the bold, playful illustrations make the moods recognizable and the characters distinct."― Foreword Reviews "It's refreshing to see that his classmates are supportive and help him to understand that mixed emotions are part of being a big brother. It's also refreshing that the children are encouraged to express their feelings, both positive and negative."― School Library Journal "Both the text and the bright, expressive illustrations focus squarely on Theo and his friends, with a developmentally appropriate, low priority on the baby…Cocca-Leffler once again demonstrates her understanding of small children and the complexities of their emotions."― Kirkus Reviews "The new-brother storyline adds a nice framework to the typical grocery list of feelings, and the storyline helpfully results in each mood's getting more than one possible motivation."― The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books The Best Children's Books of the Year 2014, Bank Street College On "Mood Monday," students describe their moods after the weekend. But Theo doesn't know what to say because he has a new baby sister and is feeling so many emotions all at once. On "Mood Monday," students describe their moods after the weekend. But Theo doesn't know what to say because he has a new baby sister and is feeling so many emotions all at once. Maryann Cocca-Leffler has been a passionate disability rights advocate since the birth of her daughter Janine. Maryann is also an award-winning author and illustrator of over sixty books for children, including We Want to Go to School!, Same Way Ben, and Theo's Mood. She lives and works on the coast of Maine.