Today Is A Me Day

by EV Starkey, Kristiina Haapalainen (Illustrator), Sami Vïhï-Aho (Illustrator)

Overview

A young girl unapologetically decides to focus all her energy on the things that make her the happiest.

A young girl knows the world is calling for her, but she decides to make today a "me" day, focusing all her energies on a list of things that make her happy. And, oh what a list it is! She'll pack the day lunching with her teddy bear, brewing wild teas, and even working on her warrior pose. Combined with gorgeous handmade collage work by the founders of Finland's Polka Paper.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781648230028
Publisher:	POW! Kids Books
Publication date:	01/24/2023
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,075,529
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

When EV Starkey was a kid she lived near Sherwood Forest in England, where she made forts, mud potions, and hamster hotels, and climbed trees until way past bedtime.

Now she lives in Brooklyn, NY where she still climbs trees and runs the Bellport Children’s Festival.

Polka Paper is artists' Kristiina Haapalainen's and Sami Vähä-Aho's studio and company that works on illustration and produces stationery.

Editorial Reviews

11/14/2022

A fair-skinned child wearing a breezy shift dress heeds the call of their own free spirit one day, foregoing the world to do whatever moves them: “Today I’m going to/ find my yellow hat,//lick the honey spoon,/ smudge the window pane.” Then it’s off to an idyllic swath of countryside where the child brews wildflower tea and picnics with a stuffed bear in a green meadow, feeds birds in a shady stand of trees, gathers smooth stones, and then rolls down a lush, grassy bank. Acts of creation (“Today there’s time to/ decorate my shoes”), care (“paint my Mama’s nails”), and play (“remake my race track”) follow. As the moon rises, the fulfilled child manages to “flop straight into bed,” ready to “dream of castles on the moon” and whatever a new day may bring. Starkey’s spare text has an effortless flow that fits well with the timeless, peaceful vibe of Haapalainen’s and Vähä-Aho’s bucolic backdrops. Ages 5–6. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"I forgot how simply we can talk to children yet present them with deep thoughts. I cannot wait to share this book with my grandchildren."

Isabella Rossellini

2022-05-25
A young child spends a day indulging in fun, tranquil pastimes.

In a bucolic, seaside setting, the world calls to the narrator, who chooses activities that are quiet, indulgent, or just plain pleasant. The child watches raindrops, licks honey from a spoon, has a picnic with a stuffed bear, and then tosses leftover crumbs to some birds. The narrator focuses on the self (counting their freckles, practicing yogalike poses), creative endeavors (decorating shoes, remaking a racetrack), and nature (greeting a dragonfly, stuffing their pockets with smooth stones). Even bedtime is pastoral, as the child sleeps in a canopied hammock under a large tree and a full moon. Tomorrow is left open to the possibilities of adventure and empowerment. Without stating it outright, this book promotes rejuvenating breaks, when life can be enjoyed moment to moment. Only one of the activities involves another person—painting Mama’s fingernails—while the rest are spent in blissful solitude at the narrator’s pace and discretion. Both the measured text and the balmy pictures cultivate the meditative atmosphere. The soft, watercolorlike illustrations, frequently showcasing a sweeping countryside, are contemplative and peaceful. The child and their mother both are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Mellow calmness. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews