With slow, carefully paced diction, narrator Tracey Leigh brings warmth to this audiobook about a mother and daughter enjoying their limited free time together. Ava looks forward to Saturdays, when she and her mother go to the library for story time, to the salon for new hairdos, and this week, across town to a special puppet show. But everything is going wrong as, one by one, each activity is spoiled. Leigh portrays their groaning frustration and sighing resignation as they repeat their strategy for mindfully managing disappointment: Take a deep breath and zoooom off to the next activity. Throughout the mishaps, listeners will be comforted by Leigh’s calm voice repeating the mother’s mantra for a splendid, special Saturday. S.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Saturday
Narrated by Tracey Leigh
Tracey LeighUnabridged — 8 minutes
Saturday
Narrated by Tracey Leigh
Tracey LeighUnabridged — 8 minutes
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Overview
Today would be special. Today would be splendid. It was Saturday! But sometimes, the best plans don't work out exactly the way you expect....
In this heartfelt and universal story, a mother and daughter look forward to their special Saturday routine together every single week. But this Saturday, one thing after another goes wrong--ruining storytime, salon time, picnic time, and the puppet show they'd been looking forward to going to all week. Mom is nearing a meltdown...until her loving daughter reminds her that being together is the most important thing of all.
Author-artist Oge Mora's highly anticipated follow up to Caldecott Honor Thank You, Omu! features the same magnificently radiant artwork and celebration of sharing so beloved in her debut picture book.
Editorial Reviews
Mora's follow-up to her Caldecott Honor-winning debut, Thank You, Omu!, is just as radiant and heartwarming…Once again Mora paces her tale perfectly, and her collage art delights and enchants.
★ 07/01/2019
Ava’s mother works six days a week, so Saturday, their only day together, “was the day they cherished.” Despite a practiced plan and tickets to a “one-night-only puppet show,” though, this one isn’t going particularly well. The library’s story time is canceled, a car’s splash ruins their salon ’dos, and the park is too noisy and crowded to be peaceful. But they face each setback the same way: “They paused, closed their eyes, and—whew!—let out a deep breath,” then Ava’s mother reassures her that “today will be special. Today will be splendid. Today is SATURDAY!” Carefully paced repetition structures the family’s experiences, and brilliantly colored collages by Mora (Thank You, Omu!) convey their trip through the city with elegant energy; their figures dance across the pages, and sometimes the words do, too. Scenes at the family breakfast table, inside the salon, and at the riotously busy park are filled with detail that rewards second looks. When they encounter the worst disaster of all—this one is Ava’s mother’s fault—it’s Ava’s turn to reassure her mom, and she finds special words to do it. The family handles the stress of dashed expectations in a way that acknowledges disappointment while conveying the buoyancy of resilience and the joy of their bond. And a delightful coda may inspire readers to share the inventive way they salvage their day. Ages 4–8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.)
Praise for Saturday:Publishers Weekly Most Anticipated Children's Books of Fall 2019
A Fall 2019 Kids' Indie Next List
A NYPL Best Books of 2019
A School LibraryJournal Best Picture Books of 2019
ParentsMagazine 30 Best Kids' Books of 2019
An Amazon Best Children's Book of 2-19 Ages 3-5
Kirkus Reviews Best Children's books of 2019
A 2019 Horn Book Fanfare
* "How wonderful: a book with both racial diversity and class diversity that feels authentic. Special and splendid."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "The family handles the stress of dashed expectations in a way that acknowledges disappointment while conveying the buoyancy of resilience and the joy of their bond. And a delightful coda may inspire readers to share the inventive way they salvage their day."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "The simple yet heartfelt story tugs at the emotions, but it's the paper collage artwork that really packs a punch. Created with acrylic paints, china markers, patterned paper, and print clippings, the bright illustrations are inventively conceived and full of motion-just the right vehicle for bringing this Black mother-daughter duo to vibrant life."—Booklist, starred review
"In this picture book gem from the award-winning Oge Mora, a girl and her mother anticipate Saturdays as their weekly opportunity to go on their own private adventures--big and small."—Shelf Awareness
"This one is as much for parents as it is for kids."—Parents Magazine
"Energetic cut-paper collages depict the pair navigating a colorful, bustling city in this splendidly crafted tale of meeting life's challenges."—Horn Book
★ 10/01/2019
PreS-Gr 2—In her second picture book, Caldecott honoree Mora (Thank You, Omu!) continues to delight and impress with her unique collage style and storytelling tone. In this story, Ava cherishes the one day each week she gets to spend with her working mother. They fill every Saturday with fun activities, until one day everything goes wrong. Storytime at the library is cancelled, their new hairdos get wet, and the park is too crowded. All the while, Ava's mom encourages her, and repeats a mantra that their Saturday will still be special and splendid. But when she forgets their tickets to a special puppet show, it is Ava who reassures her mom that their day isn't ruined, because they spent it together. The story is endearing, and accurately portrays the busy weekends of many families with working parents. Mora's repeated phrases and onomatopoeia ("Zoom! Off they went") lend themselves enjoyably to being read out loud. Her signature collage work using painted paper, patterned paper, and book clippings, is impeccable. Though appearing simple, these are incredibly precise scenes, with no piece of paper out of place. The pages contains mostly blue and green backgrounds, and Ava stands out with her warm brown skin and bright pink tank top. VERDICT A story that weaves mindfulness, appreciation of family time, and the lesson that parents are human, into a gorgeously produced package. Perfection.—Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA
With slow, carefully paced diction, narrator Tracey Leigh brings warmth to this audiobook about a mother and daughter enjoying their limited free time together. Ava looks forward to Saturdays, when she and her mother go to the library for story time, to the salon for new hairdos, and this week, across town to a special puppet show. But everything is going wrong as, one by one, each activity is spoiled. Leigh portrays their groaning frustration and sighing resignation as they repeat their strategy for mindfully managing disappointment: Take a deep breath and zoooom off to the next activity. Throughout the mishaps, listeners will be comforted by Leigh’s calm voice repeating the mother’s mantra for a splendid, special Saturday. S.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
★ 2019-06-20
Caldecott Honoree Mora (Thank You, Omu!, 2018) returns in this sophomore offering about a mother and daughter's special Saturday.
Young protagonist Ava and her mother love their Saturdays together. Ava's mother works, "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday," so Saturday is their special day. The pairs' smiles and Ava's outflung hands convey excitement, while realistic details such as Ava's mother's sleep scarf add authenticity. In vignettes, Mora's collage art chronicles some of their past adventures and shows them performing various actions in a circle of repeated figures (clearly intended to convey the passage of time), preparing for their day. Discerning readers may spy something left behind as they head out. Things start to go awry almost immediately, but Ava's mother is full of reassurances, and they have a strategy for dealing with disappointment: pause, close their eyes, breathe deep, and move on. But after the biggest disappointment comes at the end of a daylong string of them, it's Ava who brings comfort to her mother in a touching moment that may bring tears to readers' eyes. Though not a preachy book, it offers lessons that are both beautiful and useful. Ava and her mother are black, with skin of different hues of browns, while other characters are an array of skin tones. How wonderful: a book with both racial diversity and class diversity that feels authentic.
Special and splendid. (Picture book. 4-9)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940173442246 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hachette Audio |
| Publication date: | 10/22/2019 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | Up to 4 Years |
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