Best Day Ever!

by Marilyn Singer, Leah Nixon (Illustrator)

Overview

A sweet dog-loves-kid/kid-loves-dog story, in which the kid uses a wheelchair, from an award-winning children’s poet and talented debut illustrator.

This playful puppy thinks she’s having the best day ever! She's so happy to be out with her friend, she doesn't even realize that she's being a little naughty. But then he scolds her, and suddenly—Worst. Day. Ever. Will puppy be able to make amends and turn their day back around?

Join an exuberant, boundary-pushing pup and her exasperated boy in this reassuring story about unconditional love and the challenges of trying to always be on your best behavior.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781328987839
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/29/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	419,369
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Marilyn Singer is the author of more than one hundred books for children, including the Tallulah books. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and Washington, Connecticut. Visit her online at marilynsinger.net.

Leah Nixon graduated with an BFA in Painting from Washington University in St. Louis and is co-owner of the stationery company Tiny & Snail. She was involved in a severe construction accident while working with Habitat for Humanity that left her paralyzed from the armpits down. One of the first questions she asked when she awoke in the ICU was, "Can I still draw?" Painting, art, and her dog, Lucy, have played a major part in her recovery. Leah advocates online for art and accessibility, and lives in Rapid City, South Dakota. leahnixon.com  Instagram:@tinyhome_maker

Editorial Reviews

★ 2021-03-31
An energetic puppy narrates a day with her boy.

In the morning, she licks the face of her “best friend,” a boy with light brown skin who uses a manual wheelchair, “glad that [they’re] a pair.” In quick, rhythmic rhymes, she bounds along—chasing a cat, stealing a Frisbee, snatching a hot dog from disgruntled pigeons, and scaring a snake—to the titular refrain: “Best day ever!” But the tune changes when she rolls on a “nice dead fish.” “Down, girl! You get off me! / Phewy, what’s that smell?” yells her boy as she gazes up with heart-meltingly mournful eyes. “Not the best day ever,” she laments as she endures a sudsy bath. And when she accidentally knocks over a lamp, her boy’s exasperation is finally too much: “Worst day ever.” Soon, however, the boy comforts the dejected pup, apologizing for shouting: “I know it wasn’t cool. / I think we need more lessons. / We’ll go to training school.” The friendship restored, a huge, jubilant “Best day ever!” arcs across a sunset-tinged double-page spread, the exclamation point finished off with a tennis ball the narrator has leapt to catch. Illustrator Nixon, herself a wheelchair user, captures the bond between boy and dog with bold lines, bright, sun-laced colors, and endearing expressions, tenderly demonstrating that love is unconditional—a message that will reassure readers as well as their furry friends. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 56.3% of actual size.)

An exuberant dog’s-eye view of friendship and forgiveness. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews