Day Is Done

by Peter Yarrow, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator), Peter Yarrow (Recorded by)

Overview

And if you take my hand, my son,
All will be well when the day is done.

 

A stunning version of Peter Yarrow's gentle song, “Day Is Done,” now available as a board book.  As night falls, animal and human parents everywhere tenderly tuck their children into bed. In the darkness, each child—raccoon, doe, rabbit, field mouse, and a little boy—wonders: Will I be safe? Will you be there for me? And every mommy and daddy responds with the comforting words of Yarrow's refrain: “Yes, I am here.” Caldecott Honor-winning artist Melissa Sweet's gorgeous images celebrate the loving bond between parent and child, as well as the connection between all creatures of the earth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402748066
Publisher:	Sterling
Publication date:	10/06/2009
Edition description:	Book & CD
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	10.82(w) x 11.96(h) x 0.46(d)
Lexile:	AD550L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Peter Yarrow is a member of the iconic '60s folk trio Peter, Paul & Mary. Along with Lenny Lipton, he is the author of the beloved song and now hit book Puff, the Magic Dragon. In addition to extensive touring and performing, Peter is active in Operation Respect, an organization that promotes anti-bullying awareness in schools across the country.

 

Melissa Sweet has illustrated more than 40 children's books, including the 2008 Caldecott Honor winner A River of Words, which was also listed as a New York Times Top Ten Children's Book of the Year. The New York Times Book Review listed Carmine: A Little More Red (Houghton Mifflin)—which she both wrote and illustrated—among its Ten Best Illustrated Books of the Year, and The Boy Who Drew Birds (Houghton Mifflin) was a New York Public Library Best Book for 2004.

Editorial Reviews

Caldecott Honor artist Sweet (A River of Words: The Life of William Carlos Williams) effectively uses animal parent and child pairs to lighten the hopeful yet somber message of Yarrow’s (Puff, the Magic Dragon) folk song, which he first performed with the trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Watercolor and mixed-media art reveals members of each animal family tenderly gazing into each others’ eyes in placid woodland settings shown in cool earth tones punctuated by shocks of brilliant color: scarlet berries, magenta lily pads, crimson toadstools. Together, the animals eventually approach a house in which a father lovingly tucks his son into bed. The boy’s bright yellow room exudes comfort, and even when storm clouds threaten, there’s no real menace in any of Sweet’s depictions of nature; yet in concert with Yarrow’s verse, the overall effect is somewhat haunting. A CD tucked into the back cover features Yarrow and his daughter Bethany singing “Day Is Done” (plus two traditional songs, “I Know Where I’m Going” and “Dona Dona Dona,” with new words and music by the author). Ages 3–7. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 2—Peter (Yarrow), Paul, and Mary's familiar song isn't a natural fit for a picture book like Puff, the Magic Dragon (Sterling, 2007). The lyrics, such as "You shall inherit what humankind has done" and "Can you see what we all disguise/through your loving eyes?" are too sophisticated for the intended audience and the refrain "when the day is done" is awkward to read aloud repeatedly. Charming watercolor and mixed-media illustrations depict animal parents comforting their children, and the last scene shows a father lovingly tucking his son into bed. While this is a beautiful package, with a lovely CD including "Day Is Done," "I Know Where I'm Going," and "Dona Dona Dona" recorded by Peter Yarrow and his daughter Bethany, the audience will be limited to adults nostalgic for the music and its message.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

School Library Journal

Yarrow's (of Peter, Paul and Mary fame) well-known song conveys the truth that parental presence brings peace to frightened children in a difficult world; on the CD that accompanies this book, his gravelly voice melds with the bright children's chorus and his daughter's nimble soprano. However, the text and illustrations do not combine well. The melancholy lyrics are illustrated with images of animal parent-child pairs, including one sad bear family and a couple of timorous babies, but the rest of Sweet's watercolor-and-mixed-media world is in bloom with playful, child-friendly flowers, and the animals mostly sport smiles. Without visual clues as to the reason for the parents' stated sadness ("In a world filled with sorrow and woe, / If you ask me why, why is this so? / I really don't know"), the already-opaque lyrics threaten to baffle the young readers who will be drawn to this large, bright volume. The two bonus songs ("I Know Where I'm Going" and "Dona Dona Dona") are equally well performed, but their inclusion is puzzling. All in all, a very pretty disconnect. (afterword) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews