CRANKY RIGHT NOW
Written by Julie Berry • Illustrated by Holly Hatam
Picture Book • 32 pages
Sounds True, Inc. • 2021
ISBN: 987-1-6836-4664-8
Everyone has been there: those days when nothing works and everyone is grumpy. Cranky Right Now takes us into the world of a young girl who is having a rough day. The narrator is unfairly blamed for things that just aren’t her fault, while her baby brother never gets blamed for anything. And don’t even talk about the inequity of grownups saying you can’t have a granola bar because it is too sugary, and then seeing them scarf one down 10 minutes later. Cruel injustice! No wonder our spunky, young protagonist is so cranky.
With funny illustrations and active, bold language, Cranky Right Now draws the reader into a world to which we can all relate. By then end, the narrator finds a good nap to be the perfect antidote to her crankiness, right alongside her drooling little brother. They wake up to a changed world, full of happy times and kindness.
Cranky Right Now is the perfect book for young folks—and perhaps older folks too!— who need a little help navigating those cranky days.
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Reviewed by: Sarah Orgill