A Glorious Day - Hardcover

Schwartz, Amy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689848021 ISBN 13: 9780689848025

Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books, 2004

Synopsis

From living in his apartment building with his many friendly neighbors to playing in the community playground, young Henry loves his city life and enjoys the hustle-and-bustle of the busy neighborhood that waits for him just outside his door.

About this title

About the Author

Amy Schwartz has written and illustrated many classic picture books, among them Bea and Mr. Jones, a Reading Rainbow feature; Annabelle Swift, Kindergartner; A Teeny Tiny Baby, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year; How to Catch an Elephant; The Boys Team, a finalist among Riverbank Review's Children's Books of Distinction Awards; and What James Likes Best. She lives with her husband, historian and critic Leonard Marcus, and their son, Jacob, in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

PreS-This slice-of-life vignette takes readers through a day in an urban apartment building. The book is divided into three sections-morning, day, and night-and time flows smoothly for the young residents ("one baby, two little girls, three big boys, four little boys, two cats, and a bird") from the time they wake until they are tucked into bed. Spot illustrations allow children to glimpse details of the activities going on simultaneously on various floors. The minimalist pen-and-ink cartoons, with their loose and simple lines, are accented with soft analogous colors in gouache. White backgrounds provide a restful contrast to all this busyness and isolate the text so it is easy to read. The pictures and text include individuals of many different backgrounds. Youngsters will enjoy this peek into other children's daily routines and meals (especially potato chips and hot dogs for breakfast) as well as the constant action provided by the characters, including a set of triplets.-Laurie Edwards, West Shore School District, Camp Hill, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PreS. A squat, red-brick apartment building is home to two little girls, three big boys, and four little boys--from different families. This fact may not be clear to the intended audience, though, at least not at first, as the children scramble about on oversize snowy-white pages, getting up, eating breakfast, and beginning their day. As morning blends into afternoon, it becomes clearer that toddler Henry is at the grocery store with his mommy, and African American twins Peter and Thomas are shopping with their mom. Then, back at home, the triplets join in the hunt after Henry's bird flies into the hallway. By dinnertime, the groups have sorted out nicely--one family eats hamburgers, another chicken, a third pizza, and Henry's parents watch as he picks at his food. Schwartz is always able to get to the heart of childhood doings and feelings in her stories and chipper pen-and-watercolor art. Here, her success is somewhat diluted by the multiplicity of characters and events. Still, little ones will enjoy recognizing slices of their own lives. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0689848021
• ISBN 13: 9780689848025
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Schwartz Amy
• Number of pages: 32