Review by Booklist Review
In the morning, a child wakes before sunrise---and their still-sleeping parents. But rather than waiting for them to get up, the child thinks, "Maybe I will do whatever I want to do," and ponders the possibilities. Color-coded scenarios appear alongside each other as the child describes how each chosen path might progress. They could make breakfast (cereal, then marshmallows); draw a city with dragons and horses; ride a scooter outside and then climb a tree; or plant a garden next to Mom's. Along the way, the child's train of thought leads to other musings (their uncle likes horses, too; should they call him?) and considerations--overindulging on marshmallows wouldn't be so fun, they might get a scrape while climbing a tree, what if they find a snake, and so on. Ultimately, they decide to return to bed, in a sweet concluding scene of the child nestled between slumbering Mom and Dad. Charming, richly detailed watercolor-and-pencil illustrations judiciously employ color and perspective in this cleverly told story. The potential activities, while pictured together, can also be read individually, using their colors as a guide. This artful, engaging portrayal of a child's imagination and view of their world, as well as the reassurances and comfort of family and home, is likely to strike a chord with kids and their adults.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
It's early in the morning--"only the streetlights are on," writes Fishman (The Ocean in Your Bathtub)--and a wide-awake brown-skinned child in striped pajamas knows they're not supposed to disturb their sleeping parents until 7 a.m. They dream up four possibilities to occupy the time, which Bagley (Daisy) portrays in softly textured, dramatically framed watercolor and pencil sketches, with each highly imaginative reverie rendered in different color. Red-tinted vignettes follow the child making a messy breakfast and eating too many marshmallows, yellow vignettes show them drawing an elaborate city and considering calling a favorite uncle, while purple art conveys them taking a scooter ride and climbing a tree ("I don't even need a boost"), and green shows an outing digging in Mom's garden. Art from all four story lines appears simultaneously (part of the fun is seeing the different ways each spread's real estate is divvied up), inviting comparisons and sage considerations of the child's options. And even though the child makes a less adventurous choice in the end, readers should come away admiring their mischievousness, creativity, independence, and curiosity. Ages 4--8. (Nov.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--A little boy awakens one morning and realizes he is the first up in his home. Having been told that he isn't supposed to wake his parents till seven, this urchin begins to imagine what his morning might be like without any supervision. Readers are then treated to two distinct visions of the day playing out side by side. On one side of the page, readers witness him eating lots of cereal, drawing fantastical and colorful pictures of cityscapes with horses and dragons, and taking a pit stop for some much-needed marshmallows. The other version of his morning consists of him zipping up his coat and riding his scooter to the family's garden. Once there, he climbs a huge tree and listens to the wind, digs in the dirt, and observes the world around him. What he eventually decides to do is climb into bed with his parents, which ends the book on a cozy note. Watercolor and pencil illustrations have a dreamy tone, while endpapers of a digital alarm clock add a whimsical touch. VERDICT A lovely additional purchase, encouraging imagination while capturing a child's first glimpse at independence--Amy Nolan, St. Joseph P.L., MI
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Review by Horn Book Review
A child is the first in the house to wake up and ponders what to make of the day: "Maybe I will do whatever I want to do." In a nod to choose-your-own-adventure types of books, and perhaps even David Macaulay's classic Black and White (1990), subsequent spreads include four separate vignettes, representing the child's options and rendered via Bagley's (Daisy, rev. 4/21) expressive, detailed watercolors with pencil. Perhaps it's a good time to make breakfast, draw with crayons, ride a scooter, or garden. The vignettes first appear in separate circles, but then shift in size and shape as the child considers these options. Each is awash in its own color so that readers can easily follow with page-turns: the rose-colored series of images reveals the child's fantasies of an undisciplined life (eating marshmallows to excess); the yellow series showcases creative tendencies; the lavender one depicts a daredevil spirit; and the jade one shows success in overcoming fears without parents around as guides. There is understated humor in Fishman's (Power Up, rev. 3/19) text ("That was too many marshmallows" next to an illustration of feet dangling from a perch on the toilet); courage (sticking a tongue out at scary spiders); and fond nods to the parents ("I can always go back inside and find Mom if I'm scared"). What the child ultimately chooses to do, a heretofore unexplored fifth option, is a sweet surprise. An adventurous tribute to the imagination of children and a day's endless opportunities. Julie Danielson November/December 2021 p.70(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
