A Good Day

by Daniel Nesquens, Miren Asiain Lora (Illustrator)

Overview

The cat and the tiger are best friends. Every day, the cat enters the zoo and visits the tiger’s cage. They talk about everything, but when the cat confesses that he’d like to be big and strong like the tiger, he’s shocked to learn that the tiger envies him for being free to go wherever he wants. The tiger has a plan to escape from the zoo and find his real home—all he needs is some help from his best friend. 

Animal lovers of all ages will fall in love with this fanciful story about friendship and freedom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802855305
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	11/05/2019
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Daniel Nesquens has been writing children's books for over ten years. He has published more than thirty titles, including Mister H (Eerdmans) and My Tattooed Dad (Groundwood). He loves infusing his stories with humor and magical realism. Daniel lives in Spain.


 
Miren Asiain Lora is the illustrator of Hello, Earth! and A Good Day (both Eerdmans). She studied fine arts at the University of the Basque Country, and her artwork has been shown in several exhibitions in Spain, Argentina, Italy, and Mexico. In her illustrations, she works to capture the magic of everyday life. Miren lives in Spain. Visit her website at miaslo.com.

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2019

K-Gr 3—An unlikely friendship between a tiger and a cat offers hope and a bit of magical thinking in this quiet, quirky offering. Tiger languishes in his cage at the city zoo while his friend and confidante—a black-and-white cat sporting a hat and red sweater—runs free, doing as he pleases. Cat tells his friend that "sometimes I wish I were like you—big, smart, strong…" But the tiger envies his friend's freedom and longs to go home. He asks the cat to help him escape and outlines a plan. On the designated night, the zookeeper arrives with his flashlight. "'Where do you think you're going with those keys?'" What happens next is not only surprising, but empowering. Suffice it to say, mission accomplished. The delicate watercolor artwork features a variety of animals and people at a traditional zoo with city buildings in the skyline juxtaposed against the lush greens and blues and starry skies of the tiger's homeland. VERDICT This special book is filled with humor and heart—a winning combination—that is sure to prompt discussion.—Barbara Auerbach, Cairo Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2019-09-15
A tale of longing, friendship, and the power of freedom.

Originally published in Spain as Un buen día, this story features two unusual friends, a well-dressed cat and a tiger inhabitant of a retro-style zoo. The tiger lives in a rounded cage, where he is stared at by crowds of visitors, next to an elephant, monkeys, birds, and more—also in cages. The tiger longs for the wild, where he could roam as he pleased. The cat wants his friend to be happy and eventually finds a way to help him fulfill his dream. In so doing, the cat discovers a new friend at the zoo. Muted illustrations depict the zoo in a panorama that scrolls from spread to spread, giving readers a view of the exhibits. However, the design, which lays the zoo's cages out in a line at the bottom of nearly all spreads that don't depict the tiger's natural habitat, while reflective of the monotony of zoo life, is repetitive and lacks interest and variety. One illustration—in which the tiger seems to act out his wish to leave the zoo—offers viewers an intriguing set of images laid out in vertical panels. Straightforward, dry dialogue belies the depth of the friendship between the tiger and cat. As a result, this story may need a grown-up to help young readers grasp the subtle humor.

An understated and perhaps too-quiet friendship story. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews