Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
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Searching... Silver Falls Library | JP FORWARD | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Newberg Public Library | PLACE FORWARD | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
There's a lot to do on the first day of school: meet new friends, practice writing, eat lunch, and run around. But it's not only children who do these things--parents do, too. This charming story follows the day of a young boy and his working mother. Even though they're in different places, the soft, lively illustrations show that they're never far from each other's thoughts. And when it's time to go home, they'll both be ready for a hug and eager to ask, "What did you do today?"
Author Notes
KERRY ARQUETTE is a talented new author; What Did You Do Today? is her first children's book. She lives in Aruada, Colorado. NANCY HAYASHI is the illustrator of My Two Grandmothers by Effin Older and Bunny Bungalow by Cynthia Rylant. She lives in Los Angeles, California.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Told from a child's point of view, this story is sure to quell those first-day-of-school jitters. Though mother and son are apart for the day, they are never far from one another's thoughts. Spreads feature the child's activities on the left page and his mother's comparable work routine on the right. From enjoying a morning snack to listening to stories, eating lunch, and getting ready to go home at day's end, their movements are similar. Every now and then a thought bubble of the loved one's smiling face appears. Each page contains at least one central watercolor framed on a pastel-colored background and surrounded by items featured in the picture. For example, "I sat down and tried hard to do my very best writing" reveals the child (pencil in mouth) concentrating at perfecting his letters while his mother (pencil in mouth) is shown "writing" on a computer. Each of these illustrations is surrounded by the alphabet; the boy's letters are printed and the mother's are typed in a computer font. The charming artwork shows the happy camaraderie in both the multicultural classroom and workplace. This day-in-the-life tale is a delightful introduction to the school experience and dispels the mystery of what a working parent does all day.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
A little boy describes his first day of school, which proves remarkably similar to his mother+s day at the office: e.g., the image supporting ""I...tried hard to do my very best writing"" shows the boy working to master the alphabet, while on the facing page his mom types at her computer. The loose, bustling watercolors depicting their parallel experiences are engaging and reassuring. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Forward offers a unique twist on a familiar theme: the first day of school. Brief sentences describe the time in which a mother and her son are apart, from drop-off to pick-up. Young readers will recognize the familiar rhythms of their own days in the child's narrative, which includes circle time, snack, and active play. Although the protagonist's voice seems to be that of the young boy, the generalized descriptions work to incorporate the day's activities of mom as well. The layout further supports this, as do Thompson's lively watercolor illustrations. Each spread represents one facet of the child's day. Above the text is an illustration depicting the child engaged in the activity described, while the facing page slyly reveals his mom engaged in a parallel, adult version. Thought bubbles pepper the illustrations, showing that the two are often thinking of each other during their day. Anxious first-timers, of both the youngster and grown-up variety, will find Forward's comforting tale vastly reassuring. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. The parallels between a child's day at school and his mother's day at work are shown with insight and love in this cleverly designed book. After making and packing their lunches, the little boy and his mother head out: At school we had one last hug . . . At first, I was so busy, I forgot about missing you for a while . . . I had my sandwich for lunch, and I thought about you all the time I was eating it. Art on the facing pages shows the boy and the mother doing remarkably similar things: when they sit down to write, one on paper, the other at a computer, both bite their pencils and concentrate. By day's end, they reconnect, eager to ask, What did you do today? Much of the book's charm comes from the chunky, curly-haired mother and her Everychild son, both comfortable with themselves and their surroundings. Thompson varies her pen-and-watercolor illustrations in surprising and eye-catching ways. All sorts of things break into the artwork's jellybean colored borders: splats of paint, letters of the alphabet, pictures of cookies--even cartoon balloons showing each character's thoughts. A nicely designed, reassuring read. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2004 Booklist