This Beautiful Day

Popsicles, paired with an e.e. cummings–esque arrangement of “doodly-doo”s and parenthetical bodily sounds, relax this jazzy, pizzazz-y romp—until the wind whips up. A delightful depiction of the ability of children to find joy regardless of atmospheric conditions.

PreS-Gr 1--A dark and stormy morning cannot dampen the spirits of three siblings in this ode to summer weather. The day begins with a song, a dance, and a skip as the kids splash through puddles and march through the neighborhood with friends. As the sky clears, the children delight in doing what children do: playing outdoors, expending energy, and reveling in the opportunity to freely enjoy the pleasures of the day. "This beautiful day.../so great for parading, /for cartwheeling fun/or hiding/and seeking/or gliding/and sliding/in this marigold sun." Jackson's spare poetic text expresses the many ways that spirited children play, while Lee's marvelous pencil and acrylic illustrations adroitly create a sense of space, air, energy, and joy as the day progresses from gray to glorious. These children feel real, drawn with loose, sketchy lines that deftly depict movement and exuberance, with expressions to match. Finally, it's time to sit down on a camp chair with a Popsicle. Who could ask for a more beautiful day? VERDICT An absolutely perfect book for summer read-alouds and interactive sharing.--Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

Inside on a dreary, rainy day, a boy hears a strain of music from the radio. The weather outside is reflected in the artwork's drab duotone: blue and black on white. Playfully, the boy starts to dance, and splashes of bright blue appear. Two girls, possibly his sisters, join him: the older one struts while the younger one twirls with a stuffed rabbit. They venture into the rain with their umbrellas ("This beautiful day... has all of us skipping and singing and calling aloud"). Lee (Ask Me), whose singing line adds delight to every page, draws them stomping joyously in puddles. Alert viewers will notice additional color creeping into the spreads. Sure enough, the rain stops and color bursts forth as the children, a larger group now, toss their umbrellas, then race through grassy expanses and climb trees. Sprightly wordplay ("high-fiving and yes, we're-alive-ing") and a dash of sound humor--"doodly (slurp), doodly (burp)," during a Popsicle break--make Jackson's high-spirited hymn to childhood an heir to earlier classics by Margaret Wise Brown and Ruth Krause. No grand adventures or special effects are needed: the story's fun flows from the simplest things. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)