Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. Once in a while, along comes a day when there is nothing . . . to do, begins this picture-book defense of unscheduled downtime. What to do with these white, empty spaces on the calendar? Wood offers suggestions: I have heard . . . wonderful stories about taking off your shoes and walking through green grass. . . . Or making toy ships . . and sailing them across a puddle. This is less a story than an explosion of images. On each spread, Halperin's soft-toned, mixed-media pictures, at least 10 per page, extend the basic fulfilling pastimes (hiking, fort building, lemonade sipping) mentioned in the text. Contemporary kids may find the absence of technology (none of the kids surf the Web or play electronic games), along with the book's overall slow-down message, a bit purposeful. Still, overscheduled children (and adults) will enjoy poring over the multitude of images, which celebrate the magic that comes with wandering, imagining, and looking closely at the smallest things. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
What do you do when there's nothing to do? That's the question that Wood (Old Turtle) ponders in this picture-book celebration of the joys to be found in all-too-rare unscheduled time. As a grateful young narrator explains, sometimes there are days signified by "just a white, empty space on the calendar." On those days of no school, no lessons, no activities, kids can explore, wander, create toy ships or paper airplanes, read "your very favorite book" in a quiet spot and just plain relax-"And isn't that great?" Woods's leisurely paced observances of various free-time pursuits-cloud watching, fort building, walking barefoot in the mud-is perfectly matched to his theme. Halperin's (Turn, Turn, Turn) watercolors exude an equally easy-going, reverie-like quality and often feature several kid-like pastimes and images simultaneously in a variety of small vignettes that share a spread. The artist experiments with patterns and designs that represent types of natural growth, including branchlike and spherical partitions (as explained in her artist's note); the result is visually and thematically arresting. A wonderful choice for lazy days or as an antidote to crazy-busy ones. Ages 4-up. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-The wide and enticing variety of activities mentioned by an unseen narrator should quell any child's complaint, "there's nothing to do." Suggestions include watching cloud formations, building a fort, catching fireflies and then letting them go, sledding, painting, and climbing a tree. Books offer possibilities, too: "finding a quiet spot and reading your very favorite book. And then reading it again...just because it is your favorite." Some pastimes, many of which span the seasons, are only revealed in the remarkable pictures and are demonstrated by a multicultural assortment of children. The watercolor and pen-and-ink spreads lend themselves to close examination as the pictures are chock-full of pleasant details. The designs they incorporate were inspired by the eight patterns found in nature-including the spiral, the sphere, the helix, and branching-and create delightful surprises at page turns. This enjoyable and useful title will inspire children on those rare occasions when precious free time magically materializes.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Wood suggests creative things children can do (or not) when they have nothing to do. His worthy, if pointed, message about the importance of ""unscheduled time"" (without lessons, sports, etc.) also seems intended for adults, whom he coyly describes as ""people with big shoes."" Halperin's distinctive detailed illustrations incorporate various patterns in nature. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this heartfelt, if not particularly logical, plea to make the most of unstructured time, Wood catalogues ways to enjoy it, and as is her wont, Halperin really fills in the details. Looking like a tween but sounding adult, the narrator claims to have heard of some ways to fill in those times when there is no school, no dance class, no Little League, "just a white, empty space on the calendar." There could be walks, cloud-watching, reading and then rereading favorite books, making snow angels or paintings and a wide range of other pleasures. Inspired by a scientist's work on natural patterns, Halperin frames blizzards of finely drawn children and common objects (unsurprisingly, there's not a GameBoy in sight) in eight common forms of growth, from spirals to explosions. The author and illustrator both open with philosophical notes in small type, so this is plainly addressed to both grownups and children. Some might see a contradiction in suggesting so many ways to fill in idle hours--but the idea that such might come along now and then is a worthy one to introduce to readers with over-structured lives. (Picture book. 7-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
