Review: Monday is One Day by Arthur Levine, illustrated by Julian Hector

 Monday is One Day
by Arthur Levine, illustrated by Julian Hector
April 2011 | 32 pages | Picture Book

This sweet and simple story was inspired by the author's own feelings about going back to work after his infant son was born. It depicts many different types of people in many different types of families - single parents, gay parents, grandparents, etc. - and gives cute suggestions for counting down the days until the weekend.

Monday is one day:

One safe snuggly cuddle.

and

Wednesday's halfway day:

Three raspberries on the nose.

The illustrations by Julian Hector reminded me a lot of the original Curious George books. They have the same black lines with primary colors, and that same timeless feeling. I especially love the bright yellow sun that appears on the cover and at various other points in the story. It stands in wonderful contrast to the moon in the night scenes that fill each of the endpapers, and it brightens the mood of the entire story.

This book would be great to share with little ones who miss Mom and Dad during the day, or whose parents are returning to work after previously staying home. It shows that parents are just as eager to spend time with their kids, as the kids are to spend time with them, and makes the long work week seem like a manageable period of time to wait for the fun of the weekend.

I borrowed Monday is One Day from my local public library.