Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day
by Jamie Lee Curtis
A rhyming tour through thirteen childhood moods that teaches kids every feeling is okay
The story
A young girl narrates her way through a spectrum of daily emotions — from silly to angry, joyful to lonely, excited to discouraged — in infectious rhyming verse illustrated with Laura Cornell's exuberant collage art. Each mood gets its own spread with specific, relatable examples drawn from real childhood experience. The book builds to an affirming conclusion that all feelings are valid, then hands the microphone to the reader with an interactive mood wheel.
Age verdict
Best for ages 4-6 as a read-aloud and feelings conversation tool. Still enjoyable as a comfort re-read through age 8.
Our take
Teaching treasure and parent conversation tool — stronger in classroom SEL utility and parent-child emotional dialogue than in raw kid entertainment. The book's value lives in its emotional intelligence framework.
What stands out
Each audience's top 3 dimensions. Out of 30 scored per book.
Kids love
- First-chapter grab Strong
Comparable to All the Broken Pieces — Opens with absurdist imagery (rouge on cat, gloves on feet, noodles for breakfast) in direct first-person peer-like voice. Sits at because same level of immediate engagement and voice distinctiveness.
- Ending satisfaction Strong
Comparable to A Deadly Education — Final declaration "Whatever I'm feeling inside is okay!" earned after full emotional tour through 13 distinct moods. Sits at because interactive mood wheel transforms reader from audience to participant, delivering empowerment.
Parents love
- Reading gateway Strong
Comparable to A Bear Called Paddington — Picture-book format, rhyming verse, vibrant illustrations, personally relevant emotional content create exceptionally low barrier to engagement. Sits at because even child who resists books will connect with seeing their own feelings reflected and validated.
- Parent-child conversation starter Strong
Comparable to A Reaper at the Gates — Almost every spread is conversation launcher ("When do you feel angry? What helps?"); interactive ending explicitly invites dialogue about child's current emotional state. Sits at because functions as shared emotional vocabulary-building tool.
Teachers love
- Read-aloud power Strong
Comparable to Interrupting Chicken — Consistent rhyming couplet structure with natural breathing rhythm makes this joy to read aloud; predictable pattern invites choral participation; mood-to-mood shifts allow expressive voice modulation. Sits at because built explicitly for performance.
- Writing prompt potential Strong
Comparable to Blended — "Today I feel [emotion]" template immediately learnable and expandable; students write own mood spreads, class mood books, compose feeling poems, design personal mood wheels. Sits at because structure provides scaffolding for emergent writers.
✓ Perfect for
- • Children ages 4-7 learning to name and understand their feelings
- • Parents wanting a natural conversation opener about emotions
- • Teachers using social-emotional learning curriculum in Pre-K through 2nd grade
- • Families navigating transitions, friendship challenges, or emotional growth
Not ideal for
Older readers (8+) seeking plot-driven narratives or adventure stories; children who prefer sustained stories over episodic emotional vignettes.
At a glance
- Pages
- 40
- Words
- 1k
- Lexile
- AD490L
- Difficulty
- Easy
- POV
- First Person
- Illustration
- Fully Illustrated
- Published
- 1998
- Publisher
- Scholastic
- Illustrator
- Laura Cornell
- ISBN
- 9780060245603
Mood & style
You'll know it worked when…
Picture book — single-sitting read-aloud of 5-10 minutes.
More like this
Same genre, similar age range. Ranked by kid score.
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