Our Favorite Day

by Joowon Oh, Joowon Oh (Illustrator)

Overview

Charmingly detailed illustrations help tell a touching tale of the bond between grandparent and grandchild in a quiet yet powerful debut.

“Thursdays are my favorite days.”

“Mine, too.”

Every morning Papa follows his normal routine. He drinks his tea, waters his plants, tidies up, and takes the bus into town. Papa enjoys his daily tasks, but there’s one day each week that is extra special. That’s the day he might visit the craft store, get two orders of dumplings to go, and possibly pick some flowers he sees along the path. With its spare text and wonderfully warm watercolor and cut-paper illustrations just begging to be pored over, Joowon Oh’s tale of the singular love between a grandfather and granddaughter will nestle within the heart of every reader.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536203578
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	08/16/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,083,528
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Joowon Oh is originally from South Korea. She earned a BFA in illustration and an MFA in illustration as visual essay from the School of Visual Arts in New York. She works primarily in watercolor with a little bit of gouache and paper collage. Our Favorite Day is her picture book debut. She lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

…lovely…The simple storytelling is enchanting, and Oh's vivid collages add a stage-set feeling to her tale.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

★ 09/23/2019

Elderly Papa lives by himself, and he likes to do things the same way each day: “Every morning, Papa wakes up and drinks some tea.” Newcomer Oh illustrates with crisply cut and painted paper in delicate tones, showing Papa’s home and effects. She shows him spritzing his plants, washing his dishes, and slipping his overcoat from a hanger. Then he takes the bus into town, where enjoys his favorite lunch: dumplings (“The usual?” a waitperson asks him). The next day, in a sequence that creates genuine suspense, subtle variations signal that something different is happening. Papa stops at the craft store to buy materials (“Ah, must be Thursday!” the merchant says), gets two orders of dumplings to go, and “then he waits.” Only when all the preparations are in place does the reason for change—his visiting granddaughter—appear. Their feelings for each other are clear as Oh shows her running into Papa’s outstretched arms. In this subtle, emotionally gratifying debut, Papa emerges as a distinctive personality whose preparations make it clear that his granddaughter’s happiness is just as important as his own. Ages 3–7. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Patience brews a wonderful reunion for this grandfather. A contented elderly gentleman, portrayed in inviting watercolor-painted paper collages in a bold color palette, goes through his daily routine...The deliberate, methodical pace is reminiscent of Mr. Rogers', ideal for young readers outlining every action of each endearing character. A quietly charming debut.
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 09/01/2019

PreS-Gr 1—Oh's debut picture book captures the precious relationship that exists between a grandfather and his granddaughter. The minimal text is coupled with fetching illustrations done with cut paper and chronicles an old man going through his daily routine. Papa wakes up, drinks his tea, waters his plants, and then takes the bus into town. Once there, he visits a restaurant and gets his usual order of dumplings and then goes home and goes to bed. One day, however, his routine changes. We observe Papa stopping at a craft store for colorful art supplies, getting two orders of dumplings to go, and even picking some flowers on the way home. Then we see him sitting in his kitchen and waiting. The next spread shows an elated little girl in pigtails running headlong toward the old gentleman yelling "Papa!" Readers are then treated to delightful images of the two enjoying their afternoon together. They converse over their shared dumplings and make an adorable butterfly kite out of the craft supplies. The last page contains no text and shows the two contentedly flying the kite in a beautiful open field. VERDICT Less is more with this quiet, lovely read that celebrates the simple pleasures that a grandparent and child can share together. Strongly recommended for purchase.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, MI

School Library Journal

2019-06-16
Patience brews a wonderful reunion for this grandfather.

A contented elderly gentleman, portrayed in inviting watercolor-painted paper collages in a bold color palette, goes through his daily routine. "Every morning, Papa wakes up and drinks some tea. / He waters his plants and tidies up." Sparse narration accompanies Papa as he heads into town via bus. While he window shops, he is inspired by the display in the window of a local craft store before going to enjoy "his favorite lunch—dumplings!" The bright art is the primary driver propelling the story forward. The simple layout reads like a graphic novel, with linear panels on most pages. The quaint visuals illustrate each movement Papa makes on the following day, picking up craft supplies—"Ah, must be Thursday!" the cashier muses—getting dumplings to go, and picking wildflowers in anticipation. The special event arrives in the form of an adorable pink-trimmed grandchild with brown hair tied up in pigtails. Dialogue between Papa and the child takes over the narration as they enjoy a shared favorite lunch of dumplings, wash dishes, then create a butterfly kite, finishing with a floral flourish. All characters have pale skin, allowing readers to see a variety of identities, including Asian, biracial, and/or white. The deliberate, methodical pace is reminiscent of Mr. Rogers', ideal for young readers outlining every action of each endearing character.

A quietly charming debut. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews