LOVELY DAY

A simple celebration of sibling love, set to the lyrics of a classic R&B song written by the late Withers and Scarborough.

“When I wake up in the morning, love / And the sunlight hurts my eyes… // And something without warning, love / Bears heavy on my mind….” A day seems to get off to a dismal start as a child discovers that the cereal box is empty and steps in a puddle of milk on the kitchen floor. But then, there on the table in the dining nook is a bowl of cereal carefully arranged with juice, flowers, and a loving note to “Big Bro” from the child’s little sib—cuing a chorus of “Lovely Day” across a full spread with vignettes of the Black-presenting pair washing up together and setting out for a day of shared experiences. Is the playground closed for repairs? No problem—here’s a tree to climb and a crowd of other children galloping in to join in the chorus. A sudden rainstorm likewise leaves puddles to dance in while the children happily make their way home beneath a rainbow to welcoming parents and dry towels. Duchess tells the tale in precisely drawn household and neighborhood scenes bright with smiling faces, many in shades of brown and belonging to a cast of joyful neighbors and playmates, including one child who uses a wheelchair and another with a hijab-wearing mom. There’s no musical arrangement, but an afterword expands on the song’s meaning as well as its inspiration and history. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Lovely.