Today With Meg and Ted

November 22, 2010
Cherubic sibs Meg and Ted show readers how a single, relatively unremarkable day can prove itself more than worthy of the encomium "it's all good." "Today is a good day to be very still," writes debuting author Gee, showing her two characters in extreme closeup, admiring a butterfly perched on a flower. Flip the page, and the duo is seen chasing the butterfly on foot and tricycle, demonstrating that today is also "a good day to be very, very quick!" Even potential downers are put into perspective: when Ted gets put in a time-out chair, Gee notes (in one of the book's few attempts at humor), "Today is a good day for some quiet time, alone." The sunny palette, combined with an almost clear line style of illustration, gives the pages an appropriately chipper energy; the repetitive vocabulary and sturdy, easy-reader typeface may encourage audiences to try their hand at reading aloud. But all that isn't quite enough to dispel an aura of stodginess from the pages. Meg and Ted's unplugged fun, while laudable, feels like it's unfolding in a distant era. Ages 2–5.

February 1, 2011
Preschool-K With a simple sensibility and art that harkens back to an earlier era, this look at a brother and sisters day will remind those who can remember back that far of the Dick and Jane books. Here, the siblings are Meg and Ted, preschoolers. Always at the forefront is the idea Today is a good day. A good day to be still as they watch a butterfly and to be quick enough to chase it when it flies away. Ted falls off his tricycle, and its a good day to ask for help and for Meg to give it. Sometimes the text is the tiniest bit confusing. On a good day to be ourselves, the kids are in costume, clearly pretending to be someone else. But mostly this does a fine job of sorting out the siblings busy activities. Despite the feel of an earlier era, theres nothing overt in the pastel-colored art that would make a child think this isnt contemporary. A big plusthe simple words and sentences make this an excellent choice for beginning readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)