Summary:This sweet picture book was the winner of the 2011 of the Caldecott Medal. Amos McGee is a faithful zookeeper who has made friends with all the animals at the zoo. One day, Amos is sick and can’t come to work. The animals go in search of their friend and when they find him sick at home, they all help take care of him and make him feel better.
Citation: Stead, P. C., & Stead, E. E. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. New York: Roaring Brook.
Impression: A Sick Day for Amos McGee is one of the sweetest books I have read in a long, long time. I’m a sucker for a good animal story, so I loved the plot of this book. The way Amos interacts with the animals at the zoo and the way they repaid the favor when he was sick is so touching. (I especially loved how he plays games with the elephant and the tortoise.) I was also impressed with how Erin E. Stead’s illustrations compliment her husband Philip C. Stead’s story perfectly. Stead’s illustrations are reminiscent of Robert McCloskey and have a slightly old-fashioned feel, but that’s not a bad thing. Stead uses lots of soft, muted colors with pops of brighter color (a red balloon, a red scarf, etc.) for emphasis. Her illustrations give the book a cozy, homey feel. All the elements of the book combine to make a story that feels warm and soft like a favorite blanket, and just begs to be read at bedtime.
Review:
Publisher’s Weekly:
With quiet affection, this husband-and-wife team tells the story of a zookeeper whose devotion is repaid when he falls ill. On most days, the angular, elderly Amos rides the bus to the zoo, plays chess with the elephant ("who thought and thought before making a move"), sits quietly with the penguin, and spends time with his other animal friends. But when Amos catches a cold, the animals ride the bus to pay him a visit, each, in a charming turnabout, doing for Amos whatever he usually does for them. The elephant sets up the chessboard; the shy penguin sits on the bed, "keeping Amos's feet warm." Newcomer Erin Stead's elegant woodblock prints, breathtaking in their delicacy, contribute to the story's tranquility and draw subtle elements to viewers' attention: the grain of the woodblocks themselves, Amos's handsome peacock feather coverlet. Every face--Amos's as well as the animals'--brims with personality. Philip Stead's (Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast) narrative moves with deliberate speed, dreaming up a joyous life for the sort of man likely to be passed on the street without a thought. Ages 2-6.
(2010, May 10). [Review of the book A Sick Day for Amos McGee by P. Stead and E. Stead]. Publishers Weekly, 257(19), 41. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Citation: Stead, P. C., & Stead, E. E. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. New York: Roaring Brook.
Impression: A Sick Day for Amos McGee is one of the sweetest books I have read in a long, long time. I’m a sucker for a good animal story, so I loved the plot of this book. The way Amos interacts with the animals at the zoo and the way they repaid the favor when he was sick is so touching. (I especially loved how he plays games with the elephant and the tortoise.) I was also impressed with how Erin E. Stead’s illustrations compliment her husband Philip C. Stead’s story perfectly. Stead’s illustrations are reminiscent of Robert McCloskey and have a slightly old-fashioned feel, but that’s not a bad thing. Stead uses lots of soft, muted colors with pops of brighter color (a red balloon, a red scarf, etc.) for emphasis. Her illustrations give the book a cozy, homey feel. All the elements of the book combine to make a story that feels warm and soft like a favorite blanket, and just begs to be read at bedtime.
Review:
Publisher’s Weekly:
With quiet affection, this husband-and-wife team tells the story of a zookeeper whose devotion is repaid when he falls ill. On most days, the angular, elderly Amos rides the bus to the zoo, plays chess with the elephant ("who thought and thought before making a move"), sits quietly with the penguin, and spends time with his other animal friends. But when Amos catches a cold, the animals ride the bus to pay him a visit, each, in a charming turnabout, doing for Amos whatever he usually does for them. The elephant sets up the chessboard; the shy penguin sits on the bed, "keeping Amos's feet warm." Newcomer Erin Stead's elegant woodblock prints, breathtaking in their delicacy, contribute to the story's tranquility and draw subtle elements to viewers' attention: the grain of the woodblocks themselves, Amos's handsome peacock feather coverlet. Every face--Amos's as well as the animals'--brims with personality. Philip Stead's (Creamed Tuna Fish and Peas on Toast) narrative moves with deliberate speed, dreaming up a joyous life for the sort of man likely to be passed on the street without a thought. Ages 2-6.
(2010, May 10). [Review of the book A Sick Day for Amos McGee by P. Stead and E. Stead]. Publishers Weekly, 257(19), 41. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Uses in a library:
A library could use A Sick Day for Amos McGee as a part of a storytime. It would fit in with several different themes, including friendship and being sick. It could also be a part of any display or program about the Caldecott Award.
A library could use A Sick Day for Amos McGee as a part of a storytime. It would fit in with several different themes, including friendship and being sick. It could also be a part of any display or program about the Caldecott Award.
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