Sweep

by Louise Greig

From award-winning author Louise Greig and acclaimed illustrator Júlia Sardà comes an uplifting story about how to confront big emotions. Ed's bad mood begins as something really small, hardly a thing at all. But before long it grows, gathers pace, and spreads through the whole town. Can Ed sweep his troubles away?

Genres: Picture Books, Emotion, Childrens, Autumn, Mental Health, Fiction, Nature

Hardcover

First published August 9, 2018

About the author

Louise Greig is a poet and children's picture book author. She lives in Aberdeen, Scotland, and when she's not busy telling stories, she is the director of a rescue home for dogs.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. A simple story of how a bad mood can escalate, very nice illustrations, in the end Ed turns his bad mood around. The story was too obvious, nothing more happened than Ed was in a bad mood and his feelings escalated.

[Marta SSX · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dezembro de 2025

"Eu gostei muito. Eu aprendi que quando estamos de mau humor, ou seja, chateados, temos de pensar duas vezes, olhar para o céu e à nossa volta, pois encontramos coisas divertidas e boas que nos deixam felizes e de bom humor.
O Vasco estava de mau humor, não olhava à sua volta, até que se fartou de estar de mau humor e viu um papagaio de papel, e ficou feliz a brincar com ele.
Achei engraçado quando o Vasco disse :Saiam da minha frente!! e também quando levou tudo à frente dele: folhas, autocarros, pessoas, tudo!"
💩 ☠️💀👿👿
Óscar, o meu filho.

[Victoria Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been on my want to read list for a while and when I came across it in Waterstones and flicked through it, I bought it straight away!

Sweep! follows Ed and his bad mood and demonstrates how easy it is to get carried away and over react when you are in a bad mood. The beautiful illustrations perfectly create a metaphor for the "bad mood" that may help children to think about their own actions when they have been in a bad mood and how it affects others.

In a KS1 class I would read this story as a book for enjoyment, as it is still quite funny in nature, but the deeper meaning within the metaphor may elude them and become too complicated, so for younger readers I wouldn't try to over analyse this book.

However, I can see myself using this book with a KS2 class all the time, to pick apart how a bad mood can start off small and all the choices that can be made that will either make their mood better or even worse. I think that KS2 children would enjoy the complexity of the hidden meaning behind the illustrations and it would spark a conversation that would then encourage them to reflect on their own ways of dealing with their moods. This is one of the few picture books that I have come across that I want to own that would be great to use with older children to keep their intake of books as diverse as possible.

On a personal level, whilst reading this book aloud to Avital, we both found that we really related to the story, even though the storyline is very abstract and no one would ever have had Ed's exact experience, his actions and emotions are ones that will be familiar to everyone, and everyone will be able to recall a time where they have made the same decisions as Ed did in the book. As this story had been about Ed being in a bad mood about something very niche and separate, it allows everyone to relate which opens up the book to all readers.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who sweeps leaves? Why doesn't this dude have a rake? Is this a thing that happens in big cities where there are maybe no actual lawns?

Nothing that happened in the book was interesting enough to derail me from this train of thought.

[Eloise Battey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is a nice book with some lovely illustrations, I think that it can maybe raise some controversial ideas of what depression or stress can be. It creates the idea that people struggling with mental health are choosing not to look at the 'brighter side of life' rather than not being able to or simply don't have 'brighter' things to look at. I also think it belittles what it is to actually live with ill mental health.

[Книжни Криле · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Вихър“ на Луиз Грег и Джулия Сарда, част от каталога на издателство „Дакелче“, е изключително завладяваща картинна книга, която внимателно и с дълбочина разглежда темата за бурните емоции и начините за справяне с тях. Чрез ярките и експресивни илюстрации, които по перфектен начин допълват текста, книгата не само предава историята, но и носи усещането за буря, която се надига и се разразява. Илюстрациите играят основна роля, като създават визуална динамика, която усилва чувството за нахлуващия вихър – метафора за недоволство, яд и бушуващ гняв. Прочетете ревюто на „Книжни Криле“: https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/202...

[A Severs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the better picture books about that use a metaphor to help children to think about bad moods.

[Ashley Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

One day an autumn leaf blew right, smack, into Ed's face. It was hardly a thing at all, really, but it put Ed in a really bad mood. He set to work sweeping all of the fallen leaves (all of his troubles) into one giant pile. He becomes so obsessed with collecting tiny problems that he forgets to look up. To notice and enjoy things he once found delightful. Eventually, Ed's huge pile of tiny problems starts to engulf everyone and everything around him. Is collecting worries really worth it? I think I feel a change in the wind.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so glad that students have been reviewing this book on Goodreads and that one placed it in my hands. When I first saw this in the bookshop, I hadn't recognised it to Louise Greig's work whose The Night Box I am a big fan of. Greig deals with emotional issues well and Sweep is a lovely, metaphorical commentary on getting uncontrollably caught up with negative emotions: something that we can all relate to.
Presented as a series of double-page spreads and vignettes, the story follows Ed as his bad mood builds up to a point where it becomes 'bigger than him' affecting his surroundings as well as those in his path. His actions cause devastation around him and it is only when he is exhausted that he looks back and realises that 'something had to change'. At the end, having exhausted his anger, Ed reflects on the better choices that he could make in the future.
The partnership between Greig and Sarda is excellent: the words stand alone (try reading it without looking at the pictures) as do the pictures but together they present us with a strong metaphor of someone losing emotional control. Sarda's wonderful illustrations, showing Ed sweeping his storm of anger around the town with a brush becomes clearer with Greig's concise prose. Children will love all the little humorous moments on the pages where Ed's sweeping gathers up those around him from walkers to buses and bikers: as the sweep gets bigger the mountain of people do too.
Sweep tells us that when we're angry and caught up in the moment, we can often lose sight of the important things and the effect that it has on those around us. Greig's final ultimatum is an interesting one for children to reflect on - whether Ed will allow his anger to get the better of him the next time....or not.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes we all get swept up in BIG FEELINGS and it's hard to let them go and gain a new perspective, especially when you are little and don't have a frame of reference. Many people are writing reviews about this book saying that it's too simplistic or that it is putting down mental illness and not taking people's suffering seriously.

You know, Sigmund Freud said that sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. In that same sort of line, I think that sometimes a children's picture book is just a children's picture book. It is not meant to show how to cure mental illness. It is not meant to sweep all the troubles of the world away.

It is meant to be read with or to a child. BOOM. Did that make the child feel loved because you spent time with them? BRILLIANT. Did you fix the world? No. And that's okay. Did you maybe teach the child a lesson or help the child in some way? WONDERFUL. That's a great by-product. Did YOU maybe learn something along the way? Even BETTER. We can ALL learn and grow and practice kindness.

Yeah reading. Yeah books. Yeah.

[Benjamin]

Here's the story: A boy gets hit in the face by an autumn leaf, and is so put out by it, that he starts to sweep up--everything! Dogs and cats, bicycles and cars and buses and women having tea at a cafe. And then the wind blows away everything he swept up, putting the world to right. Was all my anger for nothing? thinks the boy. And now when he starts to get in a "bad mood" again, he wonders: is this a moment when I will flip out or not.

I can see, in the outlines and corners of this book, a book I would like, and even a book that Henry might like; and there's issues that I'm not sure how to solve (do I prefer that Ed in the book is described as having a "bad mood" or would I like that mood to be named?). There's also something that amuses me in the ending not requiring Ed to change or do work to get out his bad mood -- sometimes a bad mood can happen and sometimes a good mood can happen. After many books on behaving the right way and having a growth mindset, it's funny to have a book that accepts that sometimes people just have bad times and we can get through them by, well, getting through them.

[Joelle Gebhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a year of big emotions in our house so I had high hopes that this book would resonate with my 4 year old daughter. Unfortunately, she did not understand the story at all. At the end, she looked really confused and asked “What does that mean?”. I tried to explain to her that the leaves represented his emotions but that was too abstract for her. But on a positive not, I think the fact that it made her ask that question is a good sign that it peaked her interest and caused a desire for her to understand more. Many children’s books don’t accomplish this. SO this is why I’m giving it a 4/5 review. If you are looking for a book or story that will help a child to navigate their overwhelming emotions, I would say this isn’t the book for that. But it does have the potential to open a door to conversations about emotions for a child who asks a lot of questions, and this is a great first step. The illustrations are also beautiful.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an amazing story. It is, on the surface, a story about a guy that gets a little caught up in sweeping all the leaves. If you dig a little deeper, the text is about a bad mood and how those bad moods can take over and grow if we allow it. Truly, it is the story of how to overcome. It's a story of looking up and finding joy. The story is unique and poetic and lovely and the illustrations are magic. Together they swirl you up in the storm of sweeping and emotion. This book is all the good things that picture books can offer and more.

[Kym · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book that most people should be able to relate to! Coupled with amusing & fun illustrations, the story reminds us how easy it can be to lose our tempers and let our anger run away with itself. Could be used to open up discussions with children about emotions and controlling these emotions - important conversations to have.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ed's bad mood starts small, but then it builds and builds until it becomes monumental, finally being completely blown away and replaced with a bright, fresh feeling.

Louise Greig and Julia Sarda take a gloriously novel look at emotions portrayed anew by the sweeping of leaves and the power of the wind to whirl them all away.

[Effie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy have I been here. Many, many times. I love the way the illustrations express this mounting bad mood that overtakes everything as a pile of leaves that Ed is working so hard to keep Sweeping up. This is a wonderful book that can help kids who feel at the mercy of their moods to feel understood. Well written with great illustrations.

[Christina Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully-illustrated book about handling negative emotions and how they can sweep you away, leaving mayhem in their wake. I will definitely be picking up a copy of this to read and discuss in my classroom.

[Lydia Duncalfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes we get so caught up in our own heads that we forget to take a step back and see the bigger picture.

This is the perfect book to share with children struggling to regulate and confront their emotions.

[BrookesEducationLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very creative story, it confronts children's big emotions and how they deal with them into an uplifting story.

[Charlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful art and palette in a literal story of being swept up your own emotions.

[Maryam Sabbar-Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this a great picture book for children of all ages. It can help children to understand their own emotions as well as being aware of others. It would be a good choice for PSHE lessons.

[Liath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5*

[Cyril · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations, and the metaphor for a bad mood really works.

[SilverNediya · Rating 5 out of 5]

چه تصویرهای قشنگی، چه ماجرای بامزه‌ای و چه روایتی
!

[Jay Semeniuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a great book on emotions and managing them!

[Jennifer J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids book about big emotions. Too abstract for my kids to realize it was about getting upset. They thought it was about leaf piles.

[Shannon]

This was so well-written, such a good concept for teaching kids how bad emotions work.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for School Library Journal, 9/1/19.

K-Gr 2–In this creative and enchanting picture book, Greig (The Night Box) does an exemplary job of helping children understand bad moods and their ability to control them. On the first page, readers meet Ed, a young boy in a foul mood who is armed with a broom and is facing down a pile of leaves. He begins to sweep and as his grumpiness increases, his sweeping takes on a maniacal life of its own. Ed sweeps up pedestrians, dogs, buses, and bicycles as his pile of leaves grows exponentially. The poor boy can’t stop himself even though, “Ed knew perfectly well when he had gone far enough.” The bad mood is so all-consuming and infectious that one spread shows the entire town in darkness littered with huge piles of leaves. Fortunately, a new wind begins to blow and slowly, then suddenly, everything looks different and brighter. This delightful tale ends with Ed and his friends flying kites in the wind and talking about how he might think twice before he lets himself be swept away again. VERDICT: Bravo! This winning story with Sarda's intricate and glorious digital illustrations is guaranteed to delight and spark conversation. A definite purchase for all collections.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een berg bladeren, een slecht humeur/niet blije emoties, en veel humor. Ik heb genoten van dit leuke boek en ik moest wel erg lachen om te zien wat onze jongen nou allemaal meeneemt terwijl hij bezig is. Bussen, bomen, honden en katten, en meer. Het einde was leuk en ik vond het erg leuk gedaan, ik ben blij dat de jongen zich nu beter voelt.
De illustraties zijn vaak prachtig, niet echt een fan van hoe de MC er uit ziet, maar de rest vond ik mooi gedaan.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a grown up, I really liked this. I totally identified with the bad mood taking over and sweeping everything in its path aside. And then just a little breeze that helps to blow it away.

The kids, however, missed the metaphorical connection between the bad mood and the broom and were very confused about how the person could sweep all this stuff.

A very nice, if a bit opaque, way to think about a bad mood.