Sunny-Side Up

November 30, 2020
It starts out as a promising morning for a child, with a father-made breakfast of sunny-side up eggs and a grape juice chaser: “Yes! Purple lips and happiness.” But when Daddy raises the shades, there’s no sunshine outside, just “drips of gray sky covering everything,” writes Davis (the Ladybug Girl series). In Woodcock’s (Look) digitally enhanced rubber stamp, pencil, and watercolor illustrations, even the living room is drenched in mottled, dreary tones. Through a combination of her own ingenuity and parental nudging, the white-skinned, red-nosed child comes up with activities to make time pass, such as opening a pretend-play bakery for stuffed companions (“I make./ I make make-believe muffins and pies./ Ones that you might like to try?”), and an internal sunniness returns in fits and starts. Stippled with subtle textures, the settings always seem on the verge of dematerializing, underscoring the tenuousness of the child’s mood. When the child’s mother returns, the sun does emerge—and soon, the whole day is no more than a dream. Readers should appreciate this realistic take on how much emotional stamina can be required to make it through a day gone wrong. Ages 4–8.

December 15, 2020
A rainy day dashes a young child's plans, but with dad's help, delight can be found in playing indoors. The warm glow of morning greets a happy child, who proudly sits at the breakfast table. But when a storm is revealed, a tantrum ensues. Daddy soothes ruffled feathers and fears, encouraging the tot to play inside. Soon, cozy pillow nests and a building-block city bloom; under the table, a clubhouse flourishes as the pale-complexioned child serves treats to a couple of stuffies. When Mommy comes home, the rain has stopped, and the two play at the park before sitting down for a family dinner of spaghetti and ice cream. Traditional gender roles are reversed, with the father as the primary caregiver, cooking meals, keeping the schedule, and gently persuading an obstinate child to nap. First-person, rhyming text perfectly captures a young child's desire for independence and control over choices: "I close my eyes, / and dream about my sunny day. / Where I found fun inside when it was gray." The illustrations, done in a gentle, welcoming pastel palette, feature simple characters, but the interplay of pattern and color creates sophisticated images. The child's expressive energy under a mop of straight-brown hair is perfectly captured in jumping, stomping, running, and playing; and Woodcock skillfully layers cooler colors to convey the weather and emotional state of the child. Together the author and artist create an environment full of warmth and love. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11.3-by-18.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.) A perfect addition to the rainy-day bookshelf, where joy can be found indoors, knowing the sun will shine again. (Picture book. 3-7)

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February 1, 2021
Preschool-Kindergarten As her mother leaves early one morning, a small girl eats sunny-side up eggs prepared by her father. She's been looking forward to playing outside and is temper-tantrum levels of disappointed to find it's raining and she'll be stuck inside. "When the thunderclouds go clap / Daddy pulls me to his lap. / He hugs me and holds me tight / and says playing inside will be all right." After being soothed, the girl uses her well-stocked imagination to create games to play by herself, such as making a "clubhouse" under a tablecloth, baking make-believe muffins for stuffed animals, building block towers and demolishing them, and reading, of course. The appealing soft-hued pastel illustrations incorporate a variety of patterns, and subtle details add even more interest--a headboard and footboard depict the rising and setting sun, while a hanging mobile made of clouds, raindrops, a rainbow, and a sun follows the progression of the day. This beautiful rainy-day tale, told in a gentle rhyming text, may give youngsters ideas for their next housebound day.

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