Most Days

by Michael Leannah, Megan Elizabeth Baratta

Overview

One of Kirkus Best Picture Books of 2021

One of Kirkus Best Picture Books about Community 2021

Kirkus Star

"Good things happen in the ordinary minutes of an ordinary day."

This is a book about mindfulness. About relishing the magic of the here and now. About enjoying the extraordinary unfoldings of an ordinary day. Moving from morning to night, the narrator becomes, by turns, boy or girl, of ever-changing ethnicity and ability, inhabiting city, country, or suburb. They are all children everywhere, opening themselves to the gift of time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780884487272
Publisher:	Tilbury House Publishers
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,133,817
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD600L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Michael Leannah was a teacher in elementary schools for more than 30 years and is the author of an instruction manual for teachers, We Think with Ink. His children’s fiction has been published in Highlights for Children, Ladybug, and other magazines. Author of MOST PEOPLE.  A resident of Wisconsin, where he is a father and proud grandfather.

Megan Elizabeth Baratta is the illustrator of Most Days and I Begin with Spring, both of which received starred reviews. See more at barattastudio.com.

Editorial Reviews

"“When I go to bed, this day’s ordinary minutes glimmer in my memory like stars in the night sky.” With these words, author and former elementary school teacher Michael Leannah draws our attention to the miracles and wonders hidden in the commonplace. Most Days is a book that celebrates the everyday routines of both people and the natural world, showing how “a plain old ordinary day” can still be full of awe... As the world waits with anticipation about returning to the routines of pre-COVID days, Most Days is a gentle reminder across content areas that the “here and now” still carries tremendous value and fascination."

Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary with Most Days - SLJ - Grace Enriquez

"With the same heartwarming tone found in Most People, Most Days is all about taking the time to notice all the little things throughout our day that we so often take for granted. This book is the perfect introduction for young readers to the concept of mindfulness.

In Most Days, the term mindfulness is never used, but instead shown through the daily lives of a community, emphasizing that ordinary days can be extraordinary if we take the time to stop and notice.

Megan Elizabeth Baratta’s illustrations perfectly capture these ordinary but remarkable moments in our day, like the sun coming in through the window, the wind in our hair, a hug, or the turning of a page in a book.

Most Days is a great bedtime read, not just because it feels like a warm hug, but also because it presents the opportunity to practice gratitude with young readers and discuss the highlights of our days together."

Most Days: The Magic of Here and Now - Mutually Inclusive - Devyn Douvier

★ 2020-11-18
Answering the question: Is any day really ordinary?

A child gets out of bed, brushes their teeth, gets dressed, and eats the usual cereal for breakfast. “Most days are ordinary days.” Or are they? In a feast of simple sensory experiences over the course of a day, the experiences of racially diverse, multigenerational communities suggest otherwise. A mix of interior and exterior, urban and rural scenes proves that “good things happen in the ordinary minutes of an ordinary day.” A potted plant has one leaf more than it did yesterday. A kid in a wheelchair cruises along the sidewalk, noticing “that spiderweb wasn’t there yesterday, and the puddle I splashed in is gone.” Two children sit on the steps of an apartment building and converse in sign language. “The bakery on the corner fills the air with the aroma of fresh bread.” Even “when the day is busy and the minutes go by too fast,” readers are encouraged to listen to bird song, smell the “grass in the wind,” and notice “the wagging of [their] dog’s tail.” Delicately lined illustrations with colors in soft tones support the feelings of positivity and well-being and the message that “another day will come tomorrow, full of extraordinary things filling ordinary minutes.” (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 72% of actual size.)

Guaranteed to help readers of all ages find wonder each day. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews