Withers, Bill. Lovely Day. Illustrated by Olivia Duchess. Scholastic, 2023. 978-1-338-81538-2. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-2.
Based on the song “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers and Skip Scarborough, Olivia Duchess creates an upbeat story about facing the day with optimism. Too bright sunshine, an empty cereal box, and a puddle of milk on the floor melt away when little sister has made big bro breakfast. Getting ready for the day is more fun with a partner. The playground is closed for repairs? No worries! There are other ways to have fun. Rain arrives to ruin the day? Nope! Puddles can be fun too. A diverse cast of characters – in ability and skin tone – are brought to life with Duchess’s illustrations which add to the overall sense of optimism that this book exudes.
THOUGHTS: This title will be hard to resist for Social Emotional Learning or counseling lessons or morning meetings. Even a music teacher would enjoy incorporating the original song into a lesson.
Picture Book