At the End of the Day

by Lisl H. Detlefsen, Lynnor Bontigao (Illustrator)

Overview

A pitch-perfect story about a busy, exhausted, and loving family dealing with one obstacle after another in the run-up to bedtime, in the spirit of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

At the end of a long day, sometimes it feels as if time will keep stretching endlessly. There are errands to run, homework to do, and toys to be put away. Sometimes it’s windy, and stormy, or downright boring. But . . . sometimes, with a little patience, the end of the day can be warm and cozy, surprising and exciting, and just right—filled with reasons to be grateful for the day you’ve had, and to look forward to tomorrow, too.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593378632
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	04/23/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	351,203
Product dimensions:	8.94(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.37(d)
Lexile:	AD560L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lisl H. Detlefsen is the author of a growing number of picture books including If You Had A Jetpack illustrated by Linzie Hunter, which was a Spring 2018 Kids’ Indie Next pick and an ALA LITA Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Picture Book, and On The Go Awesome illustrated by Robert Neubecker, which was a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year choice. Lisl lives on a family-owned cranberry marsh with her husband, two sons, and two cats.

Lynnor Bontigao hails from one of the more than 7,600 islands of the Philippines. She is the illustrator of You Are Revolutionary by Cindy Wang Brandt and the forthcoming The World's Best Class Plant by Audrey Vernick, and Sari-Sari Summers, which she wrote and illustrated. A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the winner of the 2020 SCBWI Tomie dePaola Professional Development Award, Lynnor Bontigao lives in New Jersey with her family.

Editorial Reviews

"Gentle and heartwarming." —Kirkus Reviews

"The text’s soothing rhythm makes for a fine bedtime story." —The Horn Book

"A solid bedtime choice for a kid who needs a reminder that a bad day doesn’t mean the end of the world and that it’s just as important to appreciate little moments as big ones." —The Bulletin

From the Publisher

2024-02-03
A child struggles with feelings of sadness.

An unseen narrator repeats the title phrase to underscore a family’s fatigue. “At the end of the day, sometimes everyone is exhausted. Or bored. Or in a mood.” There’s homework to be done or piano lessons to attend. There’s often no time to play outside, especially if it’s too cold. And don’t forget chores. Even a seemingly small disappointment, like a missing puzzle piece, hangs over the family like a dark cloud. Briefly, though, such as during a family bike ride, things seems OK. What’s going on? The clues are there if readers carefully observe Bontigao’s cozy, digital illustrations. Dad and the children are engaged in a variety of activities, but Mom is absent. Readers eventually realize that she’s far away and sorely missed, seen only on a video call in her military uniform. For she is the missing puzzle piece. When she returns, the family’s emotions pour out, and all is right with their world, now filled with reassuring, comforting sights and sounds and lots of kisses and hugs. The lyrical text is paired with tender visuals that primarily focus on one of the children, who’s by turn confused, sad, and hopeful—and whose situation will elicit commiseration and compassion, especially from other kids in military families. Dad presents Asian, while Mom is brown-skinned, and the children vary in skin tone.

Gentle and heartwarming. (Picture book. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews