A Glorious Day

by Amy Schwartz

Published by A Richard Jackson Book / Atheneum, 2004
32 pages
ISBN: 0-689-84802-1

Ages 2-5

Amy Schwartz’s captivating picture book chronicles a day in the lives of ten young children in four separate families who all live in the same urban apartment building. There is only child Henry; his upstairs neighbors, Peter and Thomas; Baby Susannah and her two older brothers; and the triplets and their big brother, Will. Filled with child-centered details, Schwartz captures the busy-ness of the lives of young children, giving weight to both the routine within each family and the rhythm of the larger community in which they live. There is comfort in the small moments that define a young child’s day (for Henry, lunch is followed by a nap, followed by a trip to the park where he plays with his friends); and excitement in the unexpected (everyone pitches in to look for Princess, Henry’s pet bird who escaped into the halls when the apartment door was open). The text’s terrific pacing is complemented by the vignette-like illustrations, which effectively use white space to distinguish between the activities pictured within the diverse families shown on each page spread. (MS) ©2004 Cooperative Children's Book Center

	Hours \| Contact Us \| Site Index

	CCBC Bibliographies & Booklists Charlotte Zolotow Award Book of the Week CCBC Specialized Information CCBC Book Discussions CCBC - Net Awards & Best-of-the-Year Lists Review Journals A Glorious Day by Amy Schwartz Published by A Richard Jackson Book / Atheneum, 2004 32 pages ISBN: 0-689-84802-1 Ages 2-5 Amy Schwartz’s captivating picture book chronicles a day in the lives of ten young children in four separate families who all live in the same urban apartment building. There is only child Henry; his upstairs neighbors, Peter and Thomas; Baby Susannah and her two older brothers; and the triplets and their big brother, Will. Filled with child-centered details, Schwartz captures the busy-ness of the lives of young children, giving weight to both the routine within each family and the rhythm of the larger community in which they live. There is comfort in the small moments that define a young child’s day (for Henry, lunch is followed by a nap, followed by a trip to the park where he plays with his friends); and excitement in the unexpected (everyone pitches in to look for Princess, Henry’s pet bird who escaped into the halls when the apartment door was open). The text’s terrific pacing is complemented by the vignette-like illustrations, which effectively use white space to distinguish between the activities pictured within the diverse families shown on each page spread. (MS) ©2004 Cooperative Children's Book Center