Sunday Week

by Dinah Johnson, Tyrone Geter (Illustrator)

Overview

With charm and grace, this celebratory picture book takes young readers through the daily chores and activities of each weekday — from hanging out the wash to jumping Double Dutch — all in anticipation of Sunday. Once this special day finally arrives, it is filled with prayer, song and dance, savory food, storytelling, country drives, and most of all, family warmth and cheer.

Dinah Johnson's vibrant, engaging language and Tyrone Geter's handsome illustrations joyfully embrace the faith and spirituality within an African-American community and beyond.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250822772
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	07/04/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	410,172
Product dimensions:	9.05(w) x 10.95(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Dinah Johnson is the author of All Around Town: The Photographs of Richard Samuel Roberts, which Booklist called "eloquent" in a boxed review. She is a professor of English and Children's Literature at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Where Ms. Johnson lives, "Sunday week" means "a week from Sunday."

Tyrone Geter has illustrated several books for young readers, including White Socks Only, by Evelyn Coleman, which was an American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists." He lives with his family in Columbia, South Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

"Both Johnson and Geter create a timeless atmosphere for the reverie. Laundry on the line, a shared meal, a Sunday drive against an autumn sky all contribute to an atmosphere of family traditions and togetherness. By focusing on the particulars, author and artist strike a universal chord of familial love and the strength of community." —Publisher's Weekly

"Using charcoals and pastels on colored paper, ranging from muted gray to bright orange, Geter captures the spirit and emotional fiber of a closely knit, supportive community. This child's-eye view of her loving family and neighbors is shared with universally appealing warmth and insight." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

This sentimental, nostalgic piece of African-Americana centers the week on Sunday, a day that bursts with such joyous and reverent activity that author and illustrator give it as many pages of art and text as the rest of the week combined. Opening with Blue Monday, an inactive child sits on the curb pondering the week ahead. Artist Tyrone Geter realizes the child's idleness in a quiet charcoal and pale pastel image on gray paper. By Tuesday, the gray gives way to brighter colors, and the inertia has disappeared in a picture of brilliant motion as double Dutch ropes fly. "Come Sunday, the sidewalks are a fashion show," and a bright orange backdrop highlights a sharp-dressed young couple on their way to church. More orange on another spread celebrates a family outing with "cousins on top of cousins' laps." A final page transfers this dazzling color to glowing autumn trees as the family heads back home in their convertible against a midnight blue setting. In between, several Sunday scenes show either church ecstasy with the congregation alive to the music and spirit or subdued worship as a family prays at the table; Geter's palette matches the mood of each. Although Johnson's expression of these tender feelings borders on clich,, her lyric verse evokes warm and honest images of home and love and God.

Horn Book Magazine

This picture book comes alive with the joy and soul of family, feasting, and prayer as a child tells a story for each day of the week, culminating with Sunday.
— Black Issue Book Review

Khafre K. Abif

"Blue Monday, everybody's got the Monday morning blues," opens Johnson's (All Around Town: The Photographs of Richard Samuel Roberts) impressionistic poem with a gentle cadence, evoking a week in the life of an African-American girl. Each day leading up to Sunday gets a single spread, but "Come Sunday," the most treasured time of the week, eight glorious spreads slow down the pacing, allowing readers to revel in the narrator's favorite rituals. In an opening sketch in charcoal and pastels, Geter (White Socks Only) introduces a beautiful girl with the case of the Monday blahs. As the week progresses, playing jump rope on Tuesday, singing at choir practice on Wednesday, visiting the library story hour on Thursday, Geter shows the heroine's mood improving--by Sunday she is beaming. Both Johnson and Geter create a timeless atmosphere for the reverie. Laundry on the line, a shared meal, a Sunday drive against an autumn sky--all contribute to an atmosphere of family traditions and togetherness. By focusing on the particulars, author and artist strike a universal chord of familial love and the strength of community. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 1-3A day-by-day walk through a week in a rural Southern town as described by a young African-American resident. On Blue Monday, almost everyone has trouble getting started, but Tuesday is just right for double-Dutch practice and Wednesday is reserved for a midweek choir rehearsal. Thursday promises a trip to the library to sit in a circle with Miss Augusta, surrounded by books filled with magic words. An open-air fish fry means its Finally Friday, followed by the endless chores of Work and work some more on Saturday. Blessed Sunday stretches on forever with a biscuit breakfast, long services at Lovely Hill Baptist Church, and a fried chicken and Carolina rice dinner capped off with a lazy drive. What better way for the day to end than with laughter and just one more slice of pie, and stories and memories with the promise of more afternoons like this to come. Using charcoals and pastels on colored paper, ranging from muted gray to bright orange, Geter captures the spirit and emotional fiber of a closely knit, supportive community. This childs-eye view of her loving family and neighbors is shared with universally appealing warmth and insight.Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Johnson (All Around Town, 1998) sketches out the activities for the six days leading up to Sunday. Monday is reserved for the blues, Tuesday for double Dutch workouts, Wednesday for choir practice, Thursday for reading with Miss Augusta ("books filled with magic words. We can taste them and hear them and fashion them—speak words written and said long ago to make today and tomorrow our own"), Friday—"Finally Friday,"-with its fish and hush puppies, and workday Saturday. Then comes Sunday at the Lovely Hill Baptist Church, and displays of fashion, toe-tapping music, gathering, and feasting. The spirituality in these pages is caring and inclusive, so no one is a stranger here; Geter's pastels are studied and a little self-conscious, but as warm as the biscuits served at Sunday dinner. (Picture book. 6-9) .

Kirkus Reviews