SOME DAYS

We all have our good days and bad
days.

Two children, one cued as a girl and
the other as a boy, navigate the ups and downs of everyday emotions. “Some days
are chocolate pudding pie days. / Kites up in the sky days. / Jumping super
high days.” Each double-page spread is narrated in similar rhyming triplets and
is brightly illustrated with cartoon stylings that are dedicated to celebrating
simple joys. There are a few extraordinary experiences—“Some days are picking
out a pup days,” in which the children are at an adoption center, literally
dog-piled by adorable puppies—that cause the rhyme to spread out over multiple
spreads. The primary focus, however, is on emotions commonly experienced at
school, home, and other public places. More importantly, it acknowledges that “Some
days are feeling kind of mad days,” in which the girl scribbles angrily with
crayons, and “Feeling all alone days,” which shows the girl sadly curled up in
bed with her bunny. Unfortunately, “Sorry to be bad days” supports the notion
that a child (rather than a deed) can be “bad.” The title concludes with “Learning
to be me days,” signaling that these emotions are ongoing and natural. The girl
has pale skin and long black hair in pigtails, while the boy has brown skin and
tightly curled black hair. Whether they are neighborhood friends or siblings in
a multiracial family is unclear.

An imperfect read-aloud that
celebrates the spectrum of a child’s experiences. (Picture books. 3-6)