12 Picture Books for a Bad Day

Sometimes you wake up on the wrong side of the bed and you’re just grumpy. You might not know why or how to make your day better and that’s hard! Today, I’m sharing 12 picture books for a bad day. These titles are great for opening up conversations with your kids about feelings and emotions. We teach toddlers the colors and shapes, the alphabet and counting, but managing emotions is hard work – especially in such a little body!

Teaching kids how to identify their emotions is the first step and then kids need to learn how to regulate their emotions. That’s not to say that you ignore what you’re feeling, rather you acknowledge your feelings and if necessary take steps to feel better or accept where you are at that moment. I think it’s also really important to show kids your feelings too. Feelings don’t go away when you reach adulthood – share with your kids why you’re upset or sad (age-appropriate, of course) and also give them examples of what you do in that instance – take a deep breath, close your eyes and count to ten, share your happy thoughts with others. Let them know feelings are normal and a part of everyday life.

For example, in the classic Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst Alexander is having just the worst day and he’s ready to move to Australia. What I love that Viorst does in this book is acknowledge the bad mood. And rather than make Alexander end up with a great day, she acknowledges the bad and Alexander realizes that bad days happen… even in Australia.

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12 Picture Books for a Bad Day

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz

Alexander could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He went to sleep with gum in his mouth and woke up with gum in his hair. When he got out of bed, he tripped over his skateboard and by mistake dropped his sweater in the sink while the water was running. He could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Nothing at all was right. Everything went wrong, right down to lima beans for supper and kissing on TV.

What do you do on a day like that? Well, you may think about going to Australia. You may also be glad to find that some days are like that for other people too.

Crankenstein by Samantha Berger, illustrated by Dan Santat

BEWARE OF CRANKENSTEIN! He’s a little monster of crankiness that no one can destroy! MEHHRRRR!!! He may look like any ordinary boy, but when faced with a rainy day, a melting popsicle, or an early bedtime, one little boy transforms into a mumbling, grumbling Crankenstein. When Crankenstein meets his match in a fellow Crankenstein, the results could be catastrophic–or they could be just what he needs to brighten his day! This hilarious and relatable tale of grumpiness gone awry will turn toddler tantrums to giggles in no time.

Even Superheroes Have Bad Days by Shelly Becker, illustrated by Eda Kaban

All kids have trouble getting a grip on their emotions, sometimes—even young superheroes! But what do they do when they’re having a bad day? Colorful action-packed illustrations and a dynamite rhyming text reveal the many ways superheroes (and ordinary children, too) can resist the super-temptation to cause a scene when they’re sad, mad, frustrated, lonely, or afraid. From burning off steam on a bike or a hike, to helping others, this energetic picture book has plenty of fun ideas to help kids cope when they’re feeling overwhelmed.

A Good Day by Kevin Henkes

It’s a bad day for a little yellow bird who loses his favorite tail feather, a little white dog whose leash gets tangled, a little orange fox who can’t find his mother, and a little brown squirrel who drops her nut. But then something good happens to each of them, turning a bad day into a good one.

What makes a good day? What makes a bad day? And how can bad be transformed into good?

Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard

Bird wakes up feeling grumpy. Too grumpy to eat or play — too grumpy even to fly. “Looks like I’m walking today,” says Bird. He walks past Sheep, who offers to keep him company. He walks past Rabbit, who also could use a walk. Raccoon, Beaver, and Fox join in, too. Before he knows it, a little exercise and companionship help Bird shake his bad mood. Praised by the Wall Street Journal as “comic perfection,” this winsome, refreshingly original picture book is sure to help kids (and grown-ups) giggle away their grumpies, too!

Grumpy Duck by Joyce Dunbar, illustrated by Petr Horacek

Duck is in a very grumpy mood. The pond is dry, and she doesn’t want to roll in the mud with Pig, sing with Rooster, doze with Tortoise, eat laundry with Goat, or join any of the other animals in their pastimes. To make matters worse, the gray cloud that’s following Duck is growing bigger by the minute, and now her friends are feeling gloomy as well. What will it take to cheer them all up? Two prolific picture-book creators look to the skies for a humorous tale of not-fair-weather friendship.

Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang, illustrated by Max Lang

Jim the chimpanzee is in a terrible mood for no good reason. His friends can’t understand it–how can he be in a bad mood when it’s SUCH a beautiful day? They have lots of suggestions for how to make him feel better. But Jim can’t take all the advice…and has a BIT of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy?

Grumpy Pants by Claire Messer

Have you ever had a grumpy day and not known why? Penguin is having a grumpy day like that. No matter what he does, he just can’t shake it! Sometimes the only thing left to do is wash the grumpy day away and start over. The simple text and lively illustrations are the perfect cure for even the grumpiest of days.

Hooray for Hat! by Brian Won

Elephant wakes up grumpy—until ding, dong! What’s in the surprise box at the front door? A hat! HOORAY FOR HAT! Elephant marches off to show Zebra, but Zebra is having a grumpy day, too—until Elephant shares his new hat and cheers up his friend. Off they march to show Turtle! The parade continues as every animal brightens the day of a grumpy friend. An irresistible celebration of friendship, sharing, and fabulous hats.

It’s Not All Rainbows by Jessika von Innerebner

Everyone knows that unicorns are perfect. They are glamorous and glittery, and their smiles make rainbows appear! But Kevin is having a less-than-perfect day. First, he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed …on the floor. Then he discovers that his mane is so wild that even his Super-Perfect-Hair-Day-Spray can’t tame it. And the day just gets worse from there. Kevin does his best to keep his outlook sunny, but it’s hard to keep smiling when everything goes horribly wrong!

Mouse Was Mad by Linda Urban, illustrated by Henry Cole

Who knows the best way to be mad? Bear stomps. Hare hops. Bobcat screams. Mouse? He just can’t get it right. But when he finds the way that works for him–still and quiet–he discovers that his own way might be the best of all.

Ode to a Bad Day by Chelsea Lin Wallace, illustrated by Hyewon Yum

Oh Too Much Milk in My Cereal!
Soggy, squishy! Boggy, mushy!
You turned my crispy into gushy!

Sometimes the small disappointments and inconveniences in kids’ days can feel much bigger than they are. And when they start multiplying… oh, what a bad day it can become! Told in a series of dramatic odes to a day’s annoyances, Ode to a Bad Day lets children and caregivers alike find the humor and compassion in the days that could have gone better—and encourages readers to look forward to a better day… tomorrow.