Someday Is Not a Day of the Week
Kindergarten-Grade 3–A beaver longs to have some fun with the adults in his life but they are all too busy. "Someday, Max, but not today" is their favorite reply to each requested activity. He sits down with a calendar, and the days of the week tell him the truth about "Someday." When he passes on his newfound knowledge to his mother, she responds in a positive manner and suddenly all of his wishes come true. The artwork, rendered in watercolors, is expressive and conveys Max's goofy innocence. When "Someday" is transformed into "today," the abrupt shift feels like a sudden stop on an amusement ride. Perhaps the book is intended as a word of warning for adults. For children, the message appears that they need only crack a mysterious verbal code and their most cherished dreams will be instantly gratified. A clever idea, but the writing falls short of its promise.–Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.