Not 'Til Tomorrow, Phoebe

by Julie Zwillich, Denise Holmes (Illustrator)

Overview

Phoebe’s day is full of tomorrows: Mama says they can make pancakes, her teacher announces musicians will visit the class, and Phoebe will get ice cream after her haircut—but none of it ’til tomorrow. Phoebe feels frustrated and impatient. Why can’t these good things happen right now? Later in the day, Phoebe’s grandmother bakes cookies and shares the secret ingredient to turn today into tomorrow: a good night’s sleep. Phoebe decides she’ll try it out.



This is a sweet, practical story that offers a gentle lesson in the meaning of time. It also addresses the sense of unease kids may feel since they rarely control the way a day unfolds. Bold illustrations full of personality and diversity bring plucky, curious Phoebe’s world to life on the page, making this an enjoyable early-learning read.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771471725
Publisher:	Owlkids Books
Publication date:	03/15/2018
Series:	Phoebe
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

JULIE ZWILLICH is best known as a television personality, writing and hosting shows on Food Network Canada (Summer’s Best), CBC (Surprise! It’s Edible Incredible!) and TVOKids. She is also an actor, voiceover artist and producer. The author of Phoebe Sounds It Out, Julie lives in Central Oregon with her husband and twins.

DENISE HOLMES is an illustrator who lives in Chicago, Illinois with her husband and daughter. Her days are spent drawing in her studio and her nights are filled with cooking, exploring the neighborhood and reading many books to her daughter before bed. See more of her work at www.niseemade.com.

Editorial Reviews

02/26/2018
In her second outing, Phoebe—a tough-minded, brown-skinned girl in ladybug boots—has a hard time waiting for tomorrow. Her mother promises pancakes in the morning and ice cream in the afternoon, while at school there will be a party—but none of it is happening today: “There was nothing fun about waiting. And that’s exactly what you had to do to get to... tomorrow.” As Phoebe’s frustration mounts, she imagines herself as a brown bear who growls from the back seat and “bumped Mama’s seat with her back paws.” Holmes works in fine ink outlines and pleasing digital colors, providing a sense of intimacy to Phoebe’s home life and school community. A tearful conversation with her grandmother inspires Phoebe to appreciate the tomorrows in store and to relish a good night’s sleep. The story’s not quite a prescription for mindfulness, but following Phoebe’s lead may take readers a step closer to living in the moment. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Very highly recommended, especially for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 3 to 7.

Children's Bookwatch

"Young readers will relate to Phoebe and will come away from this book understanding that tomorrow is something to look forward to, not to begrudge."

Canadian Review of Materials

"Kids will understand Phoebe’s frustration, for sure. The illustrations are bold and expressive, with soothing colors to put kids in the mind to listen and learn. "

Mom Read It

02/01/2018
PreS-Gr 2—This follow-up to Phoebe Sounds It Out is as enjoyable as the first book. This time, thinking about tomorrow is ruining Phoebe's day. Every fun thing on the horizon—Mama says they can make pancakes, her teacher announces musicians will visit the class, and Phoebe will be treated with ice cream after her haircut—will not happen until tomorrow. Understandably, Phoebe feels impatient and angry. "Why wasn't anything fun allowed to happen today?" All it takes is a visit to Grammy's house, complete with a batch of cookies, for Phoebe to learn that the secret ingredient to turning tomorrows into todays is as simple as a good night's sleep. Add to that a pillow, a soft blanket, and sweet dreams, and waiting may not be so bad after all. Spunky and relatable Phoebe is back with a gentle new lesson—sometimes waiting can be hard, but all it takes is a little love from Grammy to turn today into tomorrow. Holmes's bright, bold illustrations pair perfectly with Zwillich's tender and realistic narrative. VERDICT A sweet story and excellent conversation starter, with a lesson for all ages. Great for one-on-one sharing, and perfect for early readers.—Elizabeth Blake, Brooklyn Public Library

School Library Journal

2018-02-03
Patience is not Phoebe's strong suit. Waiting until tomorrow for pancakes, ice cream, and a school party makes her grumpy. "Grown-ups always said tomorrow when they didn't want to do something now." This common frustration is the premise of this well-meaning but essentially bland picture book. Simple ink-outlined illustrations colored in Adobe Illustrator in muted shades of blue, orange, purple, and brown are designed in a retro style but feel incomplete. They do little to add interest or depth to the story. Phoebe has brown skin and puffy, brown hair, and her classmates are shown as a diverse mix. A brown-skinned, curly-haired child plays a drum, a red-haired, pale-skinned girl with glasses is assigned a maraca, and a light-skinned blonde girl plays a xylophone in her wheelchair. (Curiously, she does not have a mallet.) One of the teachers is pale; the other is light brown. After being told to wait until tomorrow all day long and falling into a snit, Phoebe melts down at her brown-skinned Grammy's. Of course, Grammy offers, and Phoebe quickly accepts, the inevitable and simplistic resolution to the problem: a "secret ingredient to make [tomorrows] into todays" that is anticlimactically revealed to be a good night's sleep. No doubt, Phoebe will find fans, as Zwillich is the creator of TV and internet video content in both Canada and the U.S.Those with limited budgets should opt for more-creative, less-contrived books that address this premise. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

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