Saturday - Hardcover

PreS-Gr 1—Saturday is a great day to play and pretend and have fun with family. In this tongue-in-cheek picture book, a boy revels in the joys of the weekend: reading a stack of books with his dad, playing spies with his little brother, and going to birthday parties. Each of the activities he loves, however, has a less enjoyable side for his parents, who are woken up early on their day off and are responsible for the three family meals a day; by dinner, the boys are shown sitting in front of a shoe on a plate as their parents finally put their feet up in the background. Just when it seems like Saturday is finally over, the boy announces, "Tomorrow is Sunday and we can do it all over again!" The juxtaposition of the text and pictures is charming, with the sweet-faced boy blissfully unaware of the work he's creating for his parents. The simplicity of the retro-looking pencil and digital illustrations perfectly complements the innocence of the main character. Young readers will relate to the joy of a weekend and be tickled by the boy's antics, and grown-ups will recognize the fun, and the reality, of free time spent with little kids. VERDICT A clever selection that is worth reading, on Saturday or any day of the week. Children will want to pore over the humorous artwork again and again.—Marian McLeod, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT