E
qually simple pictures and verse shape an endearing, comforting ode to a day happily spent. A parent and child start their morning on a breezy note: “At breakfast we could talk about.../ how we might go for a walkabout.” As the two lie in the grass gazing up at the sky (“Watch the clouds... imagining.../ we can do most anything”), the smiling youngster points to an image of himself, comfortably nestled in a cloud. A picnic and a frolic on the lawn with friends are followed by a loving cuddle between the duo, resting under a tree. At home, the tyke paints pictures of their day and then they “Have a bit to eat and drink./ Read from picture books and think.” As the child is tucked into bed, outside the window a smiling sun sinks into the valley alongside a rising moon. Rendered in watercolor washes, Charlip's (Sleepytime Rhyme
) festively hued art reinforces the book's upbeat tempo. Depicting scenarios that toddlers can easily relate to, the illustrations provide easy picture clues that will enable pre-readers—as well as those learning to sound out words—to chime in to complete the lilting, rhyming sentences. Ages 2-5. (May)
