Daniel's Good Day

PreS-Gr 1—Starring in his second story, the young brown-skinned, curly-haired protagonist of Daniel Finds a Poem is shown in his close-knit community where people of many different ethnicities smile, wave, and cheerfully greet one another. Daniel is a curious youngster, so on his walk to Grandma's house, he stops and asks people, "What makes a good day for you?" He receives a variety of answers from a number of individuals, including a nanny, a bus driver, a mail carrier, a gardener, and a baker. Their answers shine a light on their jobs: "A long nap for the babies," "A please and a thank-you," and "Wagging tails." Lovely, intricate artwork invites close inspection as the oil paints and the tissue and patterned paper collages combine to create colorful scenes with minute details. Each illustration, many of which include flowers, leaves, and blooming trees, appears to be painstakingly composed using rubber stamps and cut paper. Every color in the rainbow is used to create bright, happy pictures that draw the eye closer.