Got a kiddo stuck in a grump-loop? The New York Times bestseller The Pout-Pout Fish (Deborah Diesen, 2008) might flip that mood. Fans of The Rainbow Fish or Grumpy Monkey will love this briny underdog tale.

Our grumpy hero, Mr. Fish, sees doom in every bubble. But then—zing!—a sassy squid lady zooms in. She basically asks: “Bro, why the face?” Cue a quirky crew: a Zen octopus, a jellyfish doing the floss (dance, not dental), and a starfish shouting “Sparkle power!” The rhymes? Pure earworms. Think Dr. Seuss meets Pixar’s Finding Nemo—line like “Bluuub, blub, bleh…MOPE-ville! But pals? They’re like magic frown erasers!”

Dan Hanna’s art is liquid sunshine. Picture Mr. Fish with saggy clown-fish energy and eyeballs that scream “UGHHHH.” The omega funny bit? When he accidentally smiles—it’s like a grump turned toddler giggles. For parents, it’s a sneaky-smart SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) tool. For kids? Just pure squid-tickling fun.