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Daniel's good day
2019
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"Strolling through his diverse community in search of what constitutes the ""good day"" his neighbors wish each other, little Daniel discovers that a good day can mean strong kite-flying winds, nice manners on the bus, plentiful bees in the garden, lots of birthdays at the bakery, wagging tails for the mail carrier and hugs shared with Grandma. Simultaneous eBook." - (Baker & Taylor)

When his neighbors give a variety of answers to the question "What is a good day?" Daniel writes a poem about the everyday activities that give them joy. - (Baker & Taylor)

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. - (Penguin Putnam)

Author Biography

Micha Archer wrote and illustrated Ezra Jack Keats Award winner Daniel Finds a Poem, and has also illustrated several picture books, including Girl Running (by Annette Bay Pimentel). Micha works in oil and collage on paper she creates with homemade stamps and layered tissue paper. She came from a long line of artists and teachers and taught for many years in a kindergarten. Raising two kids and teaching are where she cultivated her love for picture books and realized their importance as teaching tools. Micha lives in western Massachusetts in the house she and her husband built, surrounded by gardens and forests to roam in. - (Penguin Putnam)

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Publishers Weekly Reviews

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. (May)

Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly.

School Library Journal Reviews

PreS-Gr 1—Starring in his second story, the young brown-skinned, curly-haired protagonist of Daniel Finds a Poem is shown in his close-knit community where people of many different ethnicities smile, wave, and cheerfully greet one another. Daniel is a curious youngster, so on his walk to Grandma's house, he stops and asks people, "What makes a good day for you?" He receives a variety of answers from a number of individuals, including a nanny, a bus driver, a mail carrier, a gardener, and a baker. Their answers shine a light on their jobs: "A long nap for the babies," "A please and a thank-you," and "Wagging tails." Lovely, intricate artwork invites close inspection as the oil paints and the tissue and patterned paper collages combine to create colorful scenes with minute details. Each illustration, many of which include flowers, leaves, and blooming trees, appears to be painstakingly composed using rubber stamps and cut paper. Every color in the rainbow is used to create bright, happy pictures that draw the eye closer. VERDICT The idyllic city neighborhood is a joy to visit with its bakery, newsstand, park, and the warm camaraderie among the folks who live there. A book that begs to be pored over and shared.—Maryann H. Owen, Oak Creek Public Library WI

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal.

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