I hate everything!

Gr 1--4--"I HATE EVERYTHING!" declares a draped sheet ghostly individual to their similar but smaller companion. "Really? Hmmm" is the reply. And so it goes, with the bigger individual declaring their hatred of all things while the smaller one finds things they in fact do not hate their friend, sweets, dressing up, balloons, cakes, bunnies, and more. Finally, the larger one cannot remember what exactly they hated after all. Love rules the day, until the hiccups arrive which--spoiler--are not loved. Henn's sweet and amusing illustrations are integral to the text, which is presented in word balloons. Her ghost-ish characters appear alone on a background of changing colors--red for angry, green for good, purple for change--allowing readers to fully focus on the emotions that are effortlessly apparent from the facial expressions, text size, and font. Henn's ability to show a wide range of expressions with little more than eyes, eyebrows, and mouth is nothing short of impressive. Sure to find an audience with, and far beyond, the general picture book crowd. VERDICT Clever--a humorous take on having and recovering from a bad mood. The key element is gratitude, although it is never mentioned. A must for any library.--Catherine Callegari

Through a series of pointed questions, a ghost interrogates a companion's bad mood and helps to create a shift--at least for a moment. "I hate everything!" declares a large frowning spirit. A smaller ghost gently pushes back: "Do you hate me?" "No, I don't hate you. BUT I HATE EVERYTHING ELSE!" Lightly textured floating ghosts of the white-sheet variety appear on variously colored pages. The flat, mostly empty backgrounds change in color and tone throughout, reflecting the bigger ghost's feelings. When the large ghost reiterates the title phrase, reds and oranges emphasize the angry heat of the speaker's emotions. When the smaller ghost elicits a positive response, greens, blues, and lavenders suggest a calmer mood. Simply drawn mouths and eyes are remarkably expressive. The enormous yawning blackness of the larger ghost's mouth perfectly captures the anguish of being stuck in a bad mood, while the smaller ghost's mobile eyebrows clearly convey concern and caring. Eventually, the smaller ghost lists a double-page spread's worth of people and experiences, appealingly pictured in bright colors ("Do you hate…flowers? Balloons? Strawberries?"). The bigger ghost doesn't hate those things, either, and voices another equally extreme opinion, highlighted against sunny yellow: "I LOVE EVERYTHING!" This joy doesn't last long, though, leading to a quiet chuckle as the book closes. Readers will be charmed and reassured by the reminder that, with love and support, a change in perspective is possible.(Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.