The Great Day

December 16, 2013
If evidence is needed of Gomi’s persistent, perennial appeal, look no further than this story about an energetic boy, which was first published 30 years ago in Japan. The artist’s round-headed figures and economy of line are instantly recognizable; humor comes from their very simplicity, and saturated blues and umbers add warmth and depth. In the dark of the early morning, a round brown head pops up behind a striped blanket. “The first to wake up was the boy. Second was the alarm clock.” At the breakfast table, the boy’s bleary-eyed father sips coffee, and his mother yawns. The boy, though, has cleaned his plate already. At the playground, he’s unstoppable: “He was the first to climb up a slide! He was first to fall down the slide, too.” It won’t surprise parents to find out that he’s also the first to run out of steam. His eyes close at the dinner table, and he’s the first into bed: “Goodnight.” There’s no fuss or muss in Gomi’s delivery—just right for those who want to be the first to finish the book. Ages 2–4.

February 15, 2014
An upbeat tale of a superachiever first published in English in 1987 as First Comes Harry, newly retranslated by Hajimeni. The nameless protagonist, a boy, is the first to wake up, get dressed, brush his teeth, eat breakfast, leap out the door, jump over a trash can and run up a slide. He is the first to fall down and cry, but he's also the first to laugh. He is the first to argue, the first to make up, and the first to march and do a handstand. His frantically busy day tires him out, so naturally, he is the first to finish dinner and the first to fall asleep. One of many older books by Japanese author-illustrator Gomi to be recently retranslated into English, this is a good example of how well they stand the test of time. The understated flat wash style with naively rendered figures, lack of perspective and simple shapes is instantly appealing to the youngest children, even if they can't read yet. On some pages, the washes of flat color sometimes seem too large and uninteresting for the content; conceivably these illustrations would be better suited to a smaller format similar to Gomi's board books. On balance, the book is original and refreshingly lacking in sugary cuteness--a keeper indeed. (Picture book. 2-4)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2014

PreS-Gr 1-A day dawns: "The first to wake up was the boy. Second was the alarm clock." The youngster is the first to get dressed, eat breakfast, and head out the door. This enthusiasm continues on the playground: "He was the first to climb up a slide! He was first to fall down the slide, too." The young bon vivant delights in leading his friends in a "marching song" and watching an "airplane's trail in the sky" while doing a handstand. By dinnertime, he's tuckered out from his adventures and is the first into bed. Simple sentences invite readers into the child's daily routine. Gomi's bold, clean design features warm colors and appealing, round-headed characters. A charming celebration of the pleasures of an ordinary day.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
Preschool-K Parents reading this to their youngsters will appreciate the subtext about good behavior, even as the little ones learn that falling down, crying, arguing with a friend, laughing, playing, and resolving an argument are all part of a normal, great day. Colorful minimalist illustrations depict the boy's mishaps and adventures (getting dressed by himself, jumping over garbage cans, crying on the playground, etc.) in images that are at once quiet as a silent animated film and as rambunctious as a little boy's temperament. This is well suited to repeat bedtime readings, which ought to lead drowsy children to recognize that their own great day has left them so tired there's nothing left to do but sleep. Gomi's message about appreciating the ordinariness of things will be familiar to readers who know his books My Friends (1990) and Everyone Poops (1993).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)