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The Children's Bookshelf: Some Days Are Yellow - January 7, 2024

 Some Days Are Yellow written by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Michelle Lee is a concept book all about days and how days can move from difficult to easy and easy to difficult depending on the circumstances. It is meant to be a special book, a kept book, as it beautifully requests the giver to fill out the “This book is presented to” page----along with the date.

Told in rhyme and bouncy soft colors the reader meets both the problem and the solving of that problem with each turn of the page. “Some days are “Hola,” “Bonjour,” and “Hi!” Other days are “Adios,” “Au revoir,” and “Goodbye.” There are six pictures on this spread that follow the story including a grandmother, a dog, and a playmate.

Children will read the pictures throughout this book with interest and engagement. The rhyme is clever and to the point---which speaks to the fact that some days might be difficult, but they don’t last forever. “You never know what a day will hold. Each an adventure, for you to unfold.”

Some Days Are Yellow written by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Michelle Lee is a wonderfully designed picture book for children 3-7 years of age and up, about the fact that some days can be easy-breezy whereas others can be tricky-icky. But, we learn from them all. (Sleeping Bear Press/ an imprint of Cherry Lake Publishing)2024.

The Children’s Bookshelf is a production of WCMU. Links to the podcast and the Activity Questions can be found at Children’s Bookshelf dot org. 

Activity Questions for Some Days Are Yellow

This book is full of wonderful details throughout the illustrations. Go on a hunt for the following pictures: a baby crying, a train, a rocking chair, a soccer ball, a wheelchair, a huge truck, spinach on a plate, a scooter, a skateboard, a yellow balloon, an ice cream cone, and a crown. Take your time---some of these items are easy to find and some are difficult.

Have you ever had a day that was happy yellow? Draw a picture of you enjoying that day. Next, have you ever had a difficult day? Think about it. Then, draw a picture of how you felt on that day. Give each picture a title.

 

Sue Ann Martin is professor emerita of Communication and Dramatic Arts and the founding and past Dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts at Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. She first became interested in children’s literature when she wrote her PhD thesis on the oral characteristics of the Caldecott Award-winning children’s books. Her PhD is in Speech and Interpretation with a cognate in Early Childhood Education. She went on to review children’s books for the Detroit Free Press, write three popular resource books for teachers regarding children’s books and the creative process. She also reviewed newly-published books for Arts Almanac specials on WCMU Public Radio. Her 2002 children’s books special for WCMU won a Merit Award in Special Interest Programming from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.