Daniel's Good Day
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Daniel finds the poetry in the everyday activities of his own neighborhood, in this gorgeous companion to Ezra Jack Keats Award winner Daniel Finds a Poem.
The people in Daniel's neighborhood always say, "Have a good day!" But what exactly is a good day? Daniel is determined to find out, and as he strolls through his neighborhood, he finds a wonderful world full of answers as varied as his neighbors. For Emma, a good day means a strong wind for kite flying. For the bus driver, a good day means pleases and thank-yous. A good day is bees for the gardener, birthdays for the baker, and wagging tails for the mail carrier. And, for Daniel's grandma, a good day is a hug from Daniel! And when Daniel puts all these good days together, they make a lovely poem full of his neighbors' favorite things.
Micha Archer's vivid collages bring to life one special day, and her inviting text celebrates a vibrant community and an appreciation for the many simple things that give us joy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Archer (Snowman Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations) shows readers that, with a little prodding by her inquisitive protagonist from Daniel Finds a Poem, the most ordinary of greetings can mean much more than small talk. "Have a good day!" everyone says to overall-clad Daniel as he walks through his friendly, leafy neighborhood to his grandmother's house. As Daniel polls his neighbors "What makes a good day for you?" he discovers something important and distinctive about each of them. For a bus driver, polite passengers ("a please and a thank-you") make a good day; for a housepainter, it's when the weather doesn't hinder her livelihood. "It's birthdays," a baker says over the counter, and for a nanny, it's her twin charges napping. The story comes to a full and reassuring circle when Daniel walks back home and discovers that all his respondents got exactly the day they wanted and everyone, as the crossing guard will appreciate, is "home safe." Archer's oil-and-collage vignettes portray a diverse community in the midst of a lush, blooming spring, and impressive detail makes a flowering garden and a neighborhood newsstand (whose owner likes a day with "busy sidewalks and friendly faces") riveting. Ages 3 6.
