Moody Moody Cars

ISBN: 978-1433836992

Moody Moody Cars

By Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD & Michael Furman (Photographer)
(Magination Press)
For kids ages 4-8

Cars have feelings! Or at least some look like they do.

In this quirky, joyful picture book, classic automobiles express a range of feelings, from excited to angry, to help kids find their way through the roadways of emotion. 

Awarded Children's Book Council Children's Favorite Awards 2023

Not since Inside Out has a story about feelings felt so innovative.

— Parents

Why Kids Need Moody Moody Cars

Young children deal with many of the same emotions that adults do. Children get angry, sad, frustrated, nervous, happy, or embarrassed, but they often don’t have the words to talk about how they’re feeling. Instead, they sometimes act out these emotions in very physical and inappropriate ways. 

Parents and teachers can use Moody Moody Cars to help their children understand and express their emotions. 

Throughout various stages of development, children learn to recognize, interpret, and use facial expressions, and they learn to understand the link between facial expressions and emotions. 

Being able to “read” facial expressions of emotions is an essential skill that all kids need to navigate the social world. One study found that children’s ability to interpret facial emotions at five years of age predicts how well they do socially and academically--even four years later (Izard et al. 2001).

Research also shows that talking about feelings, practicing labeling them, and discussing their causes can help children increase their understanding of emotions in themselves and others (Yuill & Little, 2018).

In this quirky, joyful picture book, classic automobiles come alive to express a range of feelings, from excited to angry. Young readers, their parents, and teachers can simply admire some really cool cars, or they can also dive deeper into the engine of emotional understanding that helps drive us all toward personal well-being, healthy relationships, and educational progress.    

Praise from reviewers

Not since Inside Out has a story about feelings felt so innovative.
- Parents

The secret emotions of automobiles are revealed in a rhyming picture book about their many moods....The concept is clever, and the cars look great.... A fun concept well executed, this picture book feels like a joyride. - Kirkus

A good addition to libraries and classrooms as a way to normalize talking and recognizing feelings and broaching emotional intelligence with the added bonus of a subject many children obsess over. - School Library Journal

Moody Moody Cars by Eileen Kennedy-Moore is an absolute delight. As a former children's librarian, I have read thousands of picture books and Moody Moody Cars is an outstanding one! Eileen Kennedy-Moore has written a catchy book with fun rhymes that kids will love to chant along with like, "Hey, Moody Cars! How ya feeling today?" This is a story that both kids and adults will want to return to and I highly recommend it! - Kristine Zimmerman

Praise from experts

Moody Moody Cars offers a fun way for children to identify a range of feelings and learn the connection between emotions and facial expressions. As in a hidden pictures game, readers will enjoy spotting each car’s “facial expression.”
- Mary K. Alvord, Ph.D. Psychologist and co-author of Resilience Builder for Children and Adolescents and Conquer Negative Thinking for teens.

Anyone without a 4-8 year old at home will wish they had one to share this delightful, perfectly pitched book. Children will both laugh and learn from the clever pairing of expressive car "faces" and human emotions, captured by photos and jaunty rhymes. A unique take on an important topic. - Dawn Huebner, PhD, author, Dr. Dawn's Mini Books About Mighty Fears

This book is a fun ride—and a wonderful way to give young children the language they need to identify and talk about their own emotions. I wish it had been available when my car-loving son was a little guy learning to manage his feelings. - Christine French Cully, Editor in Chief of Highlights and author of Dear Highlights: What Adults can Learn From 75 Years of Letters and Conversation with Kids

Praise from readers

Coming soon