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Big Rabbit's bad mood has shape and substance. Gray and hairy, it follows him around wherever he goes. Hoping to shake the mood, he calls Squirrel, and when Squirrel doesn't answer, Rabbit imagines he is off having tea with Bear, which makes the bad mood grow ever more formidable. Finally, just when Big Rabbit can take it no more, all of Rabbit's friends show up at the door—even his mother is there with her delicious pancake cake. As the party gets going (Rabbit has forgotten it's his birthday), he realizes the bad mood has hit the road. Both text and art combine a certain sophistication with delightful goofiness. Characters are round, almost shapeless, but the furniture and decoration are reminiscent of interior decorator Jonathan Adler's work. The artwork, mostly done in earth tone, is set against oversize white backgrounds that allow plenty of room for the action to play out. Bad moods are a problem for a wide range of ages, so parents should like this as much as children. Big Rabbit's bad mood keeps following him around, no matter what he does to get rid of it. The mood quickly goes away, however, when family and friends arrive to celebrate Big Rabbit's birthday, which he has apparently forgotten. This memory lapse isn't especially convincing, but it's amusing to see the antics of the obnoxious bad mood, comically portrayed as a hairy gray creature. PreS-Gr 2 Big Rabbit has a nasty bad mood that is following him all over the house. He tries to rid himself of the uninvited guest by playing music, watching television, and calling Squirrel on the phoneall to no avail. That bad mood just won't go away. It even appears naked and wipes boogers on the carpet. As he is laying arrows on the floor to direct his nemesis out the front door, the doorbell rings. Big Rabbit opens it to find his friends and his mom, bringing presents and a cake made out of pancakes: it's his birthday. The unwelcome visitor, predictably, disappears and Big Rabbit wishes him good riddance. Badescu's text is crisp yet fun; her use of lists and a run-on sentence are particularly effective. However, it is Durand's art that is the star. Big Rabbit's deadpan expressions are hilarious, and the bad mood is portrayed as a gray hairy monster that eats Big Rabbit's cactus and makes a mess. The color palette is bold, but the illustrations are detailed and small. This unique perspective on an age-old theme would pair well with Mo Willems's My Friend Is Sad (Hyperion, 2007). Laura Lutz, Queens Borough Public Library, NY