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Are You Mad at Me?

by Tyler Feder (Author) Tyler Feder (Illustrator)

Are You Mad at Me?
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Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
cms Common Sense Media Review

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.

cms Common Sense Media Review
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$18.99

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Kirkus Reviews

Colorful, cartoony digital illustrations are lively and endearing; note the enjoyable seek-and-find opportunity at the end.

Booklist

The bright illustrations, which make great use of Opal's long neck to visualizeher anxiety, offer a chance to find the hidden chameleon throughout the book.

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. (Sept.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

A comforting story about a problem many kids deal with; it reassures them that worries aren't unusual and don't have to feel overwhelming. The authors leave readers with the realistic yet optimistic view that anxiety doesn't disappear altogether but can be confronted through one's own positive outlook and support from family and friends. Colorful, cartoony digital illustrations are lively and endearing; note the enjoyable seek-and-find opportunity at the end. —Kirkus

This gentle bookabout children dealing with anxieties reassures kids that even if they get a case of the Noodles, they will be OK. The bright illustrations, which make great use of Opal's long neck to visualizeher anxiety, offer a chance to find the hidden chameleon throughout the book. —Booklist 

Tyler and Cody Feder collaborate on this sweet and silly picture book that teaches children how to cope with social anxiety. This is an excellent read-aloud to reassure readers that everyone can have a case of The Noodles, and the book has potential for a fun reread to search for Opal's chameleon friend hidden in theillustrations. —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Tyler Feder
Tyler Feder (she/her) is a Chicago-based artist whose work explores Big Feelings, feminism, and pop culture. She wrote and illustrated the acclaimed young adult graphic memoir DANCING AT THE PITY PARTY and made her picture book debut with BODIES ARE COOL. Tyler has been living with The Noodles (aka clinical anxiety) since she was a little girl, and she loved getting to work on ARE YOU MAD AT ME? with her little sis and BFF Cody! Tyler lives and works out of a cozy, pink-walled apartment in Chicago with her fluffy white cat Mitzvah. (Can you spot him in the book?)

Cody Feder (she/her) is a Chicago real estate professional and social media marketing expert with a lifelong passion for mental health advocacy. After spending her childhood, teens, and twenties battling anxiety, depression, and a serious eating disorder, she has accumulated a wealth of firsthand knowledge about mental illness and body image. Her goal is to use her background to help the next generation of "Codys" grow up with a strong foundation of self-confidence so they won't struggle the same way she did. Are You Mad at Me? is her first book, co-written with her older sister and dearest friend, Tyler. In her spare time, Cody loves decorating her apartment, finding ridiculous deals on designer accessories, and snuggling with (and learning from) her cheerful and carefree puppy, Georgia.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593615669
Lexile Measure
580
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Rocky Pond Books
Publication date
September 20, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
Library of Congress categories
-

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