Tell Me About Your Day Today

Starred review from July 16, 2012
“There once was a boy who loved bedtime,” writes Fox (Two Little Monkeys), and within a few pages, it’s clear why: when Mommy gives “the last good night” and departs, the boy gets to snuggle up with his beloved toys to discuss their respective days. Or, as Fox puts it, “the who, the what, the why, and the way...
the whole wild thing... turned out okay.” Thus, with Stringer (The Princess and Her Panther) providing all the details in velvety, saturated acrylics, readers learn that Blue Horse and Greedy Goose (the who), ended up enjoying tea and cookies (the what), after a scary thunderstorm (the why) prompted Goose to throw a blanket over the checkerboard rocking horse to create a tent that made them feel snug and safe. The boy, of course, is the engine driving each toy’s adventure, as Fox and Stringer reveal in the final pages. But as much as this book is about being the center of the universe, it’s also about letting others hold the stage. A good friend, the final contented huddle tells readers, is also a good listener. Ages 4–8.

August 1, 2012
A little boy loves to cuddle and chat with his stuffed-animal friends at bedtime. His bedtime ritual includes a good-night kiss, a story and a loving "good night" with his mother, but he most looks forward to his whispered conversations with beloved friends Greedy Goose, Blue Horse and Fat Rabbit. Each animal in turn discreetly calls for attention, respectively coughing a little cough, shaking a mane or twitching ears. The boy then asks the title question, followed by the animal telling him "the what, the who, the why, and the way...the whole wild thing...turned out okay." The specifics are told wordlessly and in great detail in Stringer's bright acrylic illustrations with just the right softly fuzzy surroundings. From Goose's encounter with a pink umbrella to Horse's deployment as an emergency picnic site (a blanket thrown over his back makes his rockers a fine tent) to Rabbit's clothespin-pinched bottom, these adventures are charming and easy for little readers to follow. The boy's version of his daytime activities is related in exactly the same manner and nicely meshes with the previously told tales. Bedroom scenes are more sharply defined, large-scale, full- and double-page spreads. Fox's use of rhyme and repetition has a flowing cadence that moves briskly along while allowing time to savor the details of the innocent delight of a small child's imagination. A lovely, gentle story for bedtime sharing. (Picture book. 3-7)

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September 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 1-A boy loves all the nightly rituals of bedtime, but mostly he loves, after the last good night, sharing the story of the day with his stuffed animal friends Greedy Goose, Blue Horse, and Fat Rabbit. Though readers ultimately learn that these four friends spent the day together, each has a version of ."..the what, the who, the why, and the way...the whole wild thing...turned out okay." While the rhythmic and snappy text sets up the action, it's really the art that tells the story. Rich spreads done in acrylics stay grounded in the present, but readers piece the story of the day together through the pictures. Each animal's perspective provides more clues until the boy's own version brings it all together. This warm, bedtime read celebrates the comforts of sharing a story together and a day well spent.-Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2012
Preschool-G After a boy's mother tucks him into bed, kisses him, reads him a story, and says good night, he begins another bedtime ritual. One by one, his favorite stuffed animals tell him about their day. Greedy Goose, Blue Horse, and Fat Rabbit recount their stories, described in the text with the repeated words the who, / the what, / the why / and the way . . . / the whole wild thing. . . / turned out okay. Told wordlessly in a set of illustrations, each little escapade involves a thunderstorm or a puddle. Finally, the boy looks back on his day, and his recollections tie all their adventures together. The succinct, precisely worded text reads aloud beautifully, while the illustrations recreate the cozy bedroom and remembered adventures in remarkably varied acrylic paintings that feature rounded forms and rich, warm colors. Best of all, the words and pictures leave room for children to engage imaginatively and verbally with the book by interpreting the visual narrative in their own words. An endearing bedtime choice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)