My Fourth of July

by Jerry Spinelli, Larry Day (Illustrator)

Overview

Picnics! Singing! Fireworks! It's time to celebrate the best day of all—the Fourth of July!

Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli and award-winning illustrator Larry Day join forces to celebrate America's birthday, the Fourth of July.

A responsible little boy who's eager to do his part wakes up joyful and ready to celebrate his favorite day of all. But there's a lot of work to do—pies to be baked, deviled eggs to be filled—and the boy has lots of jobs to complete before he can enjoy the fun . . . the world's best picnic! Face painting! A band concert!

And then, after what seems like the longest wait ever . . . he can kick back and enjoy the fireworks with the rest of the country.

This delicious and spirited book celebrates small town America and is full of nostalgia for times gone by, yet absolutely of the moment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823451739
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	06/14/2022
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jerry Spinelli is a Newbery Medal winning author of many children's books. Among his best-known titles are Maniac Magee (Newbery Medal), Stargirl, Milkweed, and Wringer (Newbery Honor). His most recent title The Warden's Daughter was published in 2017 and received a starred review from Kirkus. Jerry lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, poet and author Eileen Spinelli.

Larry Day is an award-winning illustrator, whose recent titles include Voice of the Underground Railroad, Nice Work, Franklin!, and Lion Lion. He is the recipient of three Gold medals from the Society of Illustrators, and the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Not Afraid of Dogs. He lives in Illinois.

Editorial Reviews

"An exuberant, old-time-y celebration of the Fourth of July." —Kirkus Reviews

"It's hard to imagine a more joyous, kid-friendly celebration of the fabulous fourth than this. . . . the exuberant text and the pencil, ink, watercolor, and gouache artwork, full of movement and delight, will encourage kids to find out what's happening in their local celebrations." —Booklist

"Day’s slice-of-life watercolors effortlessly shift focus from the boy to big crowd scenes and back again, always capturing the joy that comes from being both footloose and part of something bigger." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

04/22/2019

For Spinelli’s unnamed boy narrator, “the best day of all” is the Fourth of July: it begins with marching in the neighborhood parade in his pajamas and ends with being fast asleep in a red wagon after a glorious fireworks display. The hours in between are a happy confluence of summer fun (“Three-legged sack race!”), picnic food (hot dogs with grill stripes, deviled eggs, and cherry crumb pie), national pride (“The whole park is silent and still” awaiting a band’s national anthem performance), and community belonging (“For this one best day, the park is my backyard”). Day’s slice-of-life watercolors effortlessly shift focus from the boy to big crowd scenes and back again, always capturing the joy that comes from being both footloose and part of something bigger. Ages 4–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

06/01/2019

PreS-Gr 2–A young boy describes an annual Fourth of July celebration he enjoys with his family and neighbors at a nearby park. After the pajama-clad youngster briefly joins a parade passing his house, he sets about doing the chores he's in charge of, like putting finishing touches on picnic fare and loading the food into a wagon as his dog looks on. Then the family is off, first to the station to greet the flag-festooned train and then to the park. There they enjoy chocolate-covered strawberries, cherry pie, and other goodies along with hot dogs fresh off the grill. The fun-filled day includes face painting, races, interaction with zoo animals, a concert, talent show, and dancing, and culminates in spectacular fireworks over the ball field. Created with pencil, pen, and ink with watercolor and gouache, the large illustrations depict a friendly, multi-ethnic community. Flags abound, not only on the train, but also in people's hands, on houses, and on the grandstand. Three brilliantly colored double spreads show fireworks so wonderful the boy's "heart is cheering" as he "scream[s] with joy." Finally, the red wagon bearing the sleeping child and his dog appears across another spread followed by a scene in which the two are snuggled together in bed. VERDICT Though the steam-powered train at the station evokes a bygone era, this is an excellent read-aloud choice for current Fourth of July revelers and for all holiday collections.–Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA

School Library Journal