Daniel's Good Day
(Daniel)

Archer (Snowman - Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations) shows readers that, with a little prodding by her inquisitive protagonist from Daniel Finds a Poem, the most ordinary of greetings can mean much more than small talk. "Have a good day!" everyone says to overall-clad Daniel as he walks through his friendly, leafy neighborhood to his grandmother's house. As Daniel polls his neighbors--"What makes a good day for you?"--he discovers something important and distinctive about each of them. For a bus driver, polite passengers ("a please and a thank-you") make a good day; for a housepainter, it's when the weather doesn't hinder her livelihood. "It's birthdays," a baker says over the counter, and for a nanny, it's her twin charges napping. The story comes to a full and reassuring circle when Daniel walks back home and discovers that all his respondents got exactly the day they wanted--and everyone, as the crossing guard will appreciate, is "home safe." Archer's oil-and-collage vignettes portray a diverse community in the midst of a lush, blooming spring, and impressive detail makes a flowering garden and a neighborhood newsstand (whose owner likes a day with "busy sidewalks and friendly faces") riveting. Ages 3-6. (May)

PreS-Gr 1--Starring in his second story, the young brown-skinned, curly-haired protagonist of Daniel Finds a Poem is shown in his close-knit community where people of many different ethnicities smile, wave, and cheerfully greet one another. Daniel is a curious youngster, so on his walk to Grandma's house, he stops and asks people, "What makes a good day for you?" He receives a variety of answers from a number of individuals, including a nanny, a bus driver, a mail carrier, a gardener, and a baker. Their answers shine a light on their jobs: "A long nap for the babies," "A please and a thank-you," and "Wagging tails." Lovely, intricate artwork invites close inspection as the oil paints and the tissue and patterned paper collages combine to create colorful scenes with minute details. Each illustration, many of which include flowers, leaves, and blooming trees, appears to be painstakingly composed using rubber stamps and cut paper. Every color in the rainbow is used to create bright, happy pictures that draw the eye closer. VERDICT The idyllic city neighborhood is a joy to visit with its bakery, newsstand, park, and the warm camaraderie among the folks who live there. A book that begs to be pored over and shared.--Maryann H. Owen, Oak Creek Public Library WI