Little Critter and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Little Critter is usually a pretty cheerful young fellow, but in Mercer Mayer's I Was So Mad, he's had it with his family, who are always ruining his fun. Poor kid. Not only does he have his mom shattering his designs of keeping a bunch of frogs in the tub, his dad won't let him crawl around inside his little sister's dollhouse. Even his grandparents are giving him a hard time, preventing him from having a good time out in the yard. But when he goes back inside, he faces even more cross words from his parents. "I was so mad!" he fumes. And who can blame him? Under such adverse circumstances, what's a critter to do but head for the hills?

This is a funny and ultimately reassuring book along the lines of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I don't think all the things Little Critter wants to do are really so out of line; it's just the sort of day he's having that everything he does seems to be the wrong thing. Plus, the more he messes up, the more inclined his elders are to be annoyed with him, thus predisposing them to a negative opinion of his activities.

I'm a little disappointed in the severity of his parents and grandparents here. That certainly feeds into his orneriness. In Just For You, his mother never seemed to get too cross when he messed something up. Of course, in that case, he clearly had his mother's best interests at heart, whereas here, his aims are selfish. Still, when she sees all those frogs in the bathtub, she could be a little more understanding. She could laugh and compliment him on his frog-catching ability but calmly explain that the bathroom is no place for frogs. Maybe she did that already and, facing immovable opposition, became exasperated, resulting in the aggravated face we see. But she certainly doesn't come across as very patient here, and neither do the others. Everybody's shouting at him all day - except, of course, for his stalwart mouse companion, who nobody else seems to notice.

After Little Critter gets reprimanded by his grandparents, his mom and dad seem to soften a little, enough to offer some positive suggestions. But by this point he's too ticked off to be interested in playing in the sandbox or sliding down the slide. We see a range of irritated expressions from him in this book; he's a formidable little bundle of rage. He's angry, angry, angry, and his mom seems to expect it when he decides to run away. But will he go through with it? Isn't there anything good about home that could compel him to stay?

I Was So Mad is great for a kid with a case of the grumpies, especially if they're brought on by parental refusal. If Little Critter ever is allowed to grow up, he can make his own rules. Until then, he'll have to satisfy himself with the restrictions placed upon him by those who are older and wiser. Along the way, he may just decide that it's not so bad being a little critter after all. If only he could convince his mom about those frogs...