Hello Day: A Child's-Eye View of the World

by Charlie Mylie

Overview

The picture book Hello Day presents a whimsical kid’s-eye view of a day, filled with wonders big and small . . . which sometimes clashes with their parent’s more practical plans.

Hello apple,
hello shelf
I can reach you
all by myself.

When a father and child finally get out of the house, the toddler says “hello” to everything from a snack to a squirrel to a sidewalk puddle. Meanwhile, Dad stays focused on getting the duo from point A to point B. But the eager and enthusiastic “hellos” from his kid remind Dad to pay attention to the here and now.

Told entirely in the child’s voice, and boldly illustrated in vibrant colors and joyful lines, this picture book from Charlie Mylie celebrates gentle parenting and invites kid and adult readers alike to get curious about the small wonders hiding in everyday moments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419768132
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,057,498
Product dimensions:	12.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Charlie Mylie is an author and illustrator living the dream in Kansas City, Kansas. It’s only occurring to him now that his interdisciplinary art degree from Kansas City Art Institute might have actually helped in making children’s books. His wife and preschooler, however, have had a significant, obvious impact on his work and life, while the cat has contributed nothing. Mylie wants to keep exploring, for as long as he is allowed, how words and pictures—together—help us making sense of this confounding world. His books include Something for You, We Might See, and Out on a Limb.

Editorial Reviews

★ 02/05/2024

Saturated colors, bold lines, and spreads that zoom in close give jolts of visual energy to this zinger of a tale by Mylie (We Might See). Having greeted the day, a toddler with yellow hair and a dotted red shirt runs a toy thoughtfully down a bespectacled caregiver’s arm as the adult asks, “How about we go to story time?” From then on, as occasional word balloons from the grown-up reveal the book’s narrative arc, the child heartily greets everything they encounter, including an apple (“Hello apple,/ hello shelf./ I can reach you/ all by myself”), green boots (“I’m getting big./ you’re getting tight”), and a praying mantis. Bright blue pigment collides with lime green and magenta as more greetings ensue en route to the library, including for a storm drain into which the child drops pebbles (“plink/ plunk/ plip/ plop”). Consigned to a park bench with the apple when the library doesn’t allow food or drink, child and caregiver make a small but exciting final discovery in this effervescent here-and-now story that smartly centers a child’s noticing. Characters are portrayed with various fanciful skin tones. Ages 3–5. Agent: Hannah Mann, Writers House. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

***STARRED REVIEW***
"Consigned to a park bench with the apple when the library doesn’t allow food or drink, child and caregiver make a small but exciting final discovery in this effervescent here-and-now story that smartly centers a child’s noticing."—Publishers Weekly

"“Hello” to an effervescent take on early childhood’s fascination with the world."
—Kirkus

From the Publisher

2024-01-20
A child greets the world and everything in it.

Young children understand that there are many fascinating things to say hello to everywhere. The world’s wonders deserve their due. Even when a loving parent is taking you to storytime, you don’t want to rush when there are sights and sounds to greet. So it goes for the leisurely tyke in this colorful, bouncy rhyming story, narrated by the child. The parent suggests that the pair hurry, but the little one is determined to salute everything they encounter. Beginning at home, the kid welcomes the day itself, then an apple, easily reachable from the shelf, then a pair of boots—which the little one dons independently. “Hello” to neighbors, then to various outdoor urban critters, vehicles, and cacophonous street sounds. The kid’s got to say hello to the “holes” in the sewer while “plinking” rocks into them! So what if the two of them miss the bus? Finally—the library, but hello, no food or drink inside. They sit outside as the child finishes the apple, and the adult spies something magical inside the fruit—and HELLO!—thanks to a playground detour, the parent finally appreciates the world from the tot’s perspective. This charming tale is enlivened by ebullient ink and crayon illustrations; young ones will relate and say “hello” to this one pronto. Characters have fanciful skin tones; the protagonists are depicted with hues of yellow.

“Hello” to an effervescent take on early childhood’s fascination with the world. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews