One Upside-Downy Day

by Renée Kurilla

Overview

From Renée Kurilla, author and illustrator of One Springy, Singy Day, comes an exploration of the not-so-great days of toddlerdom and the ways little ones can self-soothe to ease those upside-downy days away.

Sluggish, Weepy,
Eyes still looking sleepy;
You were in no mood to play
When you got out of bed today.

Follow a diverse cast of young children as they experience big feelings—anger, shyness, and sadness—in this patient, rhyming, full-color picture book. One Upside-Downy Day is a love letter to emotional understanding and the sometimes-gray days of being a toddler.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419757075
Publisher:	Abrams Appleseed
Publication date:	08/15/2023
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	440,271
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Renée Kurilla has illustrated several books for children including Chicks Rule! and Chicks Rock! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, Right This Very Minute by Lisl H. Detlefsen, the My Pet Slime series by Courtney Sheinmel, and the Ada Lace series by Emily Calandrelli. She both wrote and illustrated One Springy, Singy Day and The Flower Garden. Kurilla lives in the woods just south of Boston with her illustrator husband, Keith Zoo, and their daughter, Zoey. One Upside-Downy Day was inspired by growy, throwy, showy Zoey and is a love letter to every kiddo who shows grit and resilience while making it through to the other side of a tough day. Kurilla can otherwise be found with her nose in a book, drawing, or attempting an ill-fated headstand.

Editorial Reviews

Whether everything is “too much-y” or not “enough-y,” a book like this, addressed to readers directly, can help. A clear and useful message: Feelings change, and, ultimately, “It’s all going to be okay.”—Kirkus

From the Publisher

2023-05-24
What to do on one of those days when nothing goes right?

On the endpapers, a diverse group of children, slightly older incarnations of the cast of Kurilla’s One Springy, Singy Day (2021), demonstrate a range of emotions. As the book open, an unseen narrator informs us that, “You were in no mood to play / when you got out of bed today.” The children depicted on the endpapers appear; one sleepyhead seems to have literally gotten up on the wrong side of the bed—even the cat eyes the child warily. Another kid feels “touchy,” frowning as a parent rakes a comb through the little one’s hair. Conflict abounds at the playground. One child smashes another’s sand castle; another child is intimidated into giving up a stuffie. Kids feel anxious, angry, and sad and act out in tears and shouts. A few deep breaths (shown in close-up) later, though, the toy is returned, hugs are shared, and, as the endpapers demonstrate, everything is turned around (though, as the final illustration suggests, perhaps not for long). Loose and bouncy rhythm and rhyme carry readers along. Whether everything is “too much-y” or not “enough-y,” a book like this, addressed to readers directly, can help. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A clear and useful message: Feelings change, and, ultimately, “It’s all going to be okay.” (Picture book 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews