The
WORRIED BOOK
The
BOOK
This book belongs to:
With much love to my five-thirteen favorites, Pat and Aunt Barbara. --HP For O & L--it’s hard to feel sad in a world full of your laughter. --JM
The Sad Book Published in the UK in 2026 by Graffeg Limited Text copyright © 2026 Howard Pearlstein Illustrations copyright © 2026 James Munro This edition published in 2026 by Red Comet Press, LLC, Brooklyn, NY All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Library of Congress Control Number: 2025948301 ISBN (HB): 978-1-63655-208-8 ISBN (EBOOK): 978-1-63655-2095 25 26 27 28 29 30 TLF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition Manufactured in China Red Comet Press is distributed by ABRAMS, New York
RedCometPress.com
The
BOOK Howard Pearlstein & James Munro
Red Comet Press
. Brooklyn
Nope, you're looking at the wrong book.
The book you want is . . .
OVER THERE
The
fee
Yep, that's the one everyone wants to read.
The
isn't
-eve
ryth
ing-
Th e fr og -t ur ns -i nt
l-g
oo
grea
lov
t bo
oo
k.
ok . .
..
.
o- a- pr in ce ,
good-guy
true-
db
-wins,
o und b o f s i e-
ok.
So go on, read the . . .
book like everyone else.
Still here, huh? I'm guessing you want a story.
Sorry, I'm too sad to tell you one.
But since you are here, and I am a picture book, I suppose I could show you some pictures . . .
You were probably expecting happy pictures . . . like dancing dinosaurs, magical monsters, and supersparkly unicorns.
Those would be nice.
(I think you can see pictures like that in here.)
I'm not in the mood for pictures like that.
I'm not in the mood for anything.
Goodbye.
Ugh.
Looks like you're sticking around.
Fine. But can you at least be
quiet?
You're making too much noise turning the pages.
You're even making too much noise
breathing. . .
in out in
out in
out
It's so annoying.
But, hmm . . . That's weird. 13
Breathing in and out like that made me feel . . . a little less sad . . . and a little less irritated.
Do you want to know why I'm sad?
Well, it's because . . .
. . . I want to be a happily-everafter book . . .
A book that everyone wants to read . . .
A book with dancing dinosaurs, magical monsters, and supersparkly unicorns.
But I guess we can't always get what we want, can we?
Ooh, I just realized something else . . .
18
Telling you how I feel -- and having you listen -- made me feel so much better!
Thanks for doing that.
Now I want to be a good listener like you . . .
Is there anything that makes you feel
Like, have you ever wanted something but didn't get it?
Has anyone ever hurt your feelings?
Did you ever see something that made you want to cry?
It's okay if you don't want to tell me. You could tell someone else . . .
like your mom or dad . . .
a friend . . .
or even your stuffed animals!
Maybe you could draw a picture about what makes you sad . . .
Or put your sad thought on a cloud in your imagination and watch it float away.
I'm feeling pretty good now. I hope you are too.
But if I'm feeling good and you're feeling good . . . where are all these tears coming from?
Oh no! What's making you sad?
That would make me sad too. Let me see if I can help.
You know what? Doing something nice for someone helped me feel even better!
I'm sure I'll feel sad again someday. Everyone feels that way once in a while, right? Even happily-everafter books!
But now we know ways to let go of sad feelings . . .
share our feelings . . .
We can breathe in and out to calm down . . .
draw a picture . . .
let our sad thoughts float away . . .
or do something nice for someone.
Feeling sad isn't fun. But sad feelings are a normal part of life. And they don't last forever.
I feel so much better now! Hey, I have an idea! Hold on . . .
Ta-da!
Oh, and one more thing . . .
The
BOOK
Howard Pearlstein Howard is an award-winning author whose picture books have been translated into five languages. He’s also an advertising copywriter behind campaigns for some of the world’s most popular brands, including Toyota, Verizon, and Mitsubishi. A California native, Howard now lives in Birmingham, Alabama. Howard has three daughters, Amanda, Jacquie, and Emily, who live across the country, and one wife, Debi, who still lives at home. howardpearlstein.com
James Munro If illustrator James Munro ever gets sad, here’s what makes him happy: drawing, eating biscuits, visiting art material shops, and getting hugs from his brilliant family. James lives and works in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and his drawings have adorned books, magazines, posters, and films since he was old enough to hold a pencil. mistermunro.co.uk
Collect all the books in the Emotions series
Nominated for YOTO CARNEGIE MEDAL for Illustration 2025
ISBN: 978-1-63655-198-2
ISBN: 978-1-63655-208-8
ISBN: 978-1-63655-188-3
Coming Spring of 2027
The
BOOK Howard Pearlstein & James Munro Everyone feels sad sometimes, even this book! But how do we deal with our feelings of sadness and discover new positives? With the book itself taking the form of a main character, The Sad Book navigates this topic in an interactive way. Its gentle humor and sensitivity will inspire young readers as they deal with the challenges of new situations and emotions. Perfect for classrooms, bedtime, and anytime kids need some reassurance. $16.99 US • $21.99 CN ISBN 978-1-63655-208-8
51699
9 781636 552088
RedCometPress.com Cover art © 2026 James Munro • Printed in China