A visual treat for the observant. Studious, bespectacled, all-about-business William, who presents white, has achieved five of his six goals for summer: earn Math Camp MVP, read 50 books, learn Spanish, obtain a black belt in karate, and perform a perfect guitar recital. But the sixth is a stumper: “have most fun ever!” He must also constantly ward off distractions from his gregarious, rambunctious neighbor Anna, a young, brown-skinned girl who keeps interrupting his serious attempts at fun with her harebrained make-believe play. . . . Young readers will have a rollicking good time as they guess what the little girl next door will think up next. Sharp-eyed readers will also locate a curious host of entertaining animals that sobersides William fails to notice. Ceulemans’ delightfully inventive, fantastical crayon sketches divide Anna’s zany world from William’s matter-of -fact one, offering readers lots to notice and giggle about. By the conclusion, the animals and even William have been absorbed into Anna’s crayon-filled universe. Fun with a capital F, this tale goes out to all those workaholic kids who need some.” —Kirkus “Best Day Ever showcases William’s escapades as he tries to make the last day of summer fun and memorable. However, with the best-laid plans, lists, and his trusty self-created fun-o-meter, he still misses the mark. While Williams pursues math camp, learning Spanish, and mastering the scooter, his annoying neighbor Anna tries to ruin his fun with imaginative, messy play! In a poignant, sweet ending, William finally realizes who is REALLY having the most fun, and a new friendship begins. Debut author Armstrong sets up two disparate characters who are the perfect foil for each other. Readers will be rooting for William to venture out of his safe, predictable ways as he reaches for adventure beyond his comfort zone. Illustrator Ceulemans creates rollicking scenes that add to the fun. Librarians and teachers will appreciate this book for its light-hearted celebration of imagination, friendship, and appreciating others for their differences.” —Kathy Halsey, Children’s Writer, Educator, Blogger, Past President of the Ohio Educational Media Association “Best Day Ever is infused with fun. Straight-laced William is such a well-developed character, and Anna's creative play ideas are laugh-out-loud funny. The illustrations are filled with eye-catching details, and the selective use of crayon is utterly brilliant. This book trips the fun-detector at high!” —Mike DeSantis, writer/illustrator
2020-02-26
A visual treat for the observant.
Studious, bespectacled, all-about-business William, who presents white, has achieved five of his six goals for summer: earn Math Camp MVP, read 50 books, learn Spanish, obtain a black belt in karate, and perform a perfect guitar recital. But the sixth is a stumper: “have most fun ever!” He must also constantly ward off distractions from his gregarious, rambunctious neighbor Anna, a young, brown-skinned girl who keeps interrupting his serious attempts at fun with her harebrained make-believe play. Wearing wacky, hodgepodge outfits, she invites him on adventures, like jumping the Grand Canyon on their motorcycles “to escape from the GREEDY TOAD PIRATE who keeps trying to steal our TREASURE with his long, sticky tongue.” William’s homemade fun meter shows only the saddest face during his solo play while Anna’s activities make it grin broadly. Young readers will have a rollicking good time as they guess what the little girl next door will think up next. Sharp-eyed readers will also locate a curious host of entertaining animals that sobersides William fails to notice. Ceulemans’ delightfully inventive, fantastical crayon sketches divide Anna’s zany world from William’s matter-of-fact one, offering readers lots to notice and giggle about. By the conclusion, the animals and even William have been absorbed into Anna’s crayon-filled universe.
Fun with a capital F, this tale goes out to all those workaholic kids who need some. (Picture book. 4-8)
