An Ordinary Day
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
An ordinary day in an ordinary neighborhood turns out to be quite extraordinary in this moving story about the circle of life.
It’s an average day in the neighborhood—children play, roses are watered, and a crow watches over it all. But then two visitors arrive at two houses, one to help a family say hello to a new baby and one to help a family say goodbye to a beloved pet. This sensitive picture book takes a gentle look at life, death, the bonds of family, and the extraordinary moments that make ordinary days so special.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
On a city street one day, everything appears normal to children playing. But two houses are "unusually" quiet. In one, an old dog is drawing its last breaths; its family, two women and three children, gathers around sorrowfully. Next door, a father, pregnant mother, and small child gather expectantly, waiting for new life to arrive. Arnold (What Riley Wore) underscores the circumstances' parallels: a doctor arrives and examines the dog; a visitor arrives and tends to the pregnant woman. As soft music plays in each house, both professionals say the same thing: "She is ready." Birth and death occur all the time, all around us, Arnold notes, "like all days,/ and all neighborhoods,/ everywhere." Figures drawn by Vukovic (the Jasmine Toguchi series) have crisp, silhouette-like contours that contrast against airy, almost weightless washes. With enormous sensitivity, the creators weave together beginnings, endings, joy and sadness, and a metaphysical sense of the universe's continuity. Ages up to 8. Author's)
