ONE UPSIDE-DOWNY DAY

What to do on one of those days when nothing goes right?

On the endpapers, a diverse group of children, slightly older incarnations of the cast of Kurilla’s One Springy, Singy Day (2021), demonstrate a range of emotions. As the book open, an unseen narrator informs us that, “You were in no mood to play / when you got out of bed today.” The children depicted on the endpapers appear; one sleepyhead seems to have literally gotten up on the wrong side of the bed—even the cat eyes the child warily. Another kid feels “touchy,” frowning as a parent rakes a comb through the little one’s hair. Conflict abounds at the playground. One child smashes another’s sand castle; another child is intimidated into giving up a stuffie. Kids feel anxious, angry, and sad and act out in tears and shouts. A few deep breaths (shown in close-up) later, though, the toy is returned, hugs are shared, and, as the endpapers demonstrate, everything is turned around (though, as the final illustration suggests, perhaps not for long). Loose and bouncy rhythm and rhyme carry readers along. Whether everything is “too much-y” or not “enough-y,” a book like this, addressed to readers directly, can help. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A clear and useful message: Feelings change, and, ultimately, “It’s all going to be okay.”