Are You Mad at Me?
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- USD 8.99
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- USD 8.99
Descripción editorial
A very nervous ostrich pushes past her anxiety in this funny, endearing picture book by the author/illustrator of Bodies Are Cool (co-written with her sister).
When Opal the ostrich is anxious, her neck feels as wobbly as a spaghetti noodle. Her family lovingly calls this “The Noodles,” and tries their best to help. But it’s not easy to calm down when you’re a worrier like Opal—especially when you’re worrying about somebody else’s opinion of you.
Now it’s the day of her family’s annual party, and Opal is in charge of picking up the triple-layer-double-custard-beet-and-berry tart from the bakery—a big responsibility! What if she does something wrong? What if somebody gets mad at her? Opal is having a serious case of the Noodles.
This light-hearted take on social anxiety is just the right amount silly and sweet—perfect for young children and anyone else who has ever gotten The Noodles.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Opal the ostrich feels anxious, she gets "The Noodles"—her long neck feels as wobbly as cooked spaghetti—and even her loving family's hugs and affirmations can't banish them. Leading up to the Feather Family's annual soiree, Opal's anxieties are focused on her fulfilling a big responsibility: fetching the triple-layer double-custard-beet-and-berry tart that's a mainstay of the celebration. Opal tries to shore herself up with a calming routine—she dons a favorite scarf, gives herself a pep talk, and takes three deep breaths—but every encounter she has en route to Ms. Peanut's Bakery nevertheless sends her into a spiral. Why does Henrietta the leopard speed away without a word? Why does Remington the bat sound so cross? "Are you mad at me?" Opal cries out again and again, only to discover in each scenario that what she has interpreted as other animals' intentional slights are not about her at all. Tyler Feder (Bodies Are Cool) and sister Cody Feder wisely don't try to solve their protagonist's concerns, but by giving anxiety a specific name and reiteratively showing the world to be an essentially benevolent place—portrayed via crisp cartooning in bright pastel colors—they underscore both the bird's bravery and her burgeoning self-knowledge that when the Noodles come, "she would be okay." Ages 5–8.
