A New Day

Gr 3-5–Every week progresses the same way—Sunday moves through Saturday and circles back again—and it is easy to take the routine for granted. Fed up with the lack of appreciation she feels in her job, Sunday announces that she is quitting! The other days are aghast, but they ultimately follow Monday’s lead and move to seek out a new day to take Sunday’s place. An audition process begins, inviting submissions from all over; some ideas are terrible, others are fine, but none feel quite right. That is, until one final prospect brings a sentiment to the table that changes Sunday’s outlook for the better. Santat’s iconic style launches these antics in vivid, expressive illustrations; his pages are saturated with color and, with the funny word-bubble text, give this a graphic novel feel. Myriad characters are used to tell the story, enhancing the silly and chaotic plot. The characters vary somewhat in appearance, in pale tones to technicolor ones. The length of text and subject matter are best suited to older elementary readers and will have them chuckling from beginning to end. Occasional rhymes provide a sing-song quality that appears at choice moments in the vibrant narrative. Enjoyably executed, this story emphasizes the importance of kindness in a world that sometimes forgets.