Tran, Phuc. Cranky. Illustrated by Pete Oswald. Harper Collins, 2024. 978-0-063-25628-6. 32 p. $19.99. Grades PS-1. 

Cranky, a crane, is having an extra cranky day. It should be an exciting day, as the rest of the construction vehicles celebrate finishing building a bridge. As the day goes on, Cranky gets increasingly cranky and doesn’t want to talk about it with anyone, even his friends Wheezy (a forklift) and Zippy (a cement mixer). They try pushing the issue and want to say something, and he thinks “My revving engine makes it too hard for me to hear my friends. My self-of-steam needs time to cool down.” He then turns and says, “No, guys. I’m too cranky to hear your words right now.” His friends understand and tell him to let them know when he’s ready to talk. After having time to himself, Cranky approaches his friends. They continue to support him, thank him for telling them how he feels, and tell him how much they value his friendship. Tran and Oswald mix a serious subject with humor to give children a valuable lesson on friendship and social emotional learning.

THOUGHTS: I really liked how we not only saw Cranky work through his own feelings but also saw how supportive his friends were. Cranky used great boundaries explaining what he needed, and Zippy and Wheezy gave him space without judging him and supported their friend. The language modeled by the trucks would be an excellent resource for children to see how to not only stand up for yourself but also be supportive friends. My own child loved the illustrations and the fact that a “crane truck” was the star.

Picture Book