This picture book starts off by showing parents and children waking up and getting ready to start the week. Levine makes a point of including many different types of family units – single parents, grandparents, an African-American family, and a single sex partnership. It doesn’t represent all the different types of family combinations there may be, but it was refreshing to see he made a point of showing variety. Readers are sure to find something familiar to their own life.
And then the workweek begins.
Each day of the week has an activity for the parent/child to share – Monday is one day: One safe snuggly cuddle. Tuesday’s blue shoe day: Two stomps in a puddle. And the week ends with fun weekend activities for the whole family.
The bright cartoon-type illustrations show both city, suburban, and country scenes. Again, Levine makes a point of showing a variety of environments so that hopefully the reader will relate to one of these places.
Within each picture are lots of details to discuss. You could count the number of t-rex toys, find how many ties are on the Friday page, point to the yellow door, or more depending on how observant you and your young reader are.
For all of us working parents and for those children we leave behind, the simple story makes the work week seem to fly by – and we’re back to the weekend before you know it.
Check the WRL catalog for Monday is One Day.
