One Thursday Afternoon

by Barbara DiLorenzo

Overview

When Granddad picks Ava up from school one Thursday afternoon, she's quiet. She doesn't want to talk about the lockdown drill that has stirred up her worries.

How can she be so afraid in a place that has always felt so safe?

Granddad doesn’t talk much either; he just offers creativity and companionship. And with his gentle encouragement, Ava begins to sense that although the world can be scary, it is still a beautiful place.

With tender insight, One Thursday Afternoon sheds light on how an unpredictable world can make a child feel, reminding us that big fears can become smaller when we take time together to look, listen, and create. An author’s note about the story’s real-life inspiration and recommendations for how adults can help children overcome fear is included.

"Adults may learn a trick or two from Granddad’s model of patience, acceptance, communication, and support, while sensitive children will see they are not alone and that it’s OK to feel upset. . . . A sweet,specific, and straightforward tale of dealing with good and bad in the world." —Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781947888371
Publisher:	Flyaway Books
Publication date:	09/06/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	287,892
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.47(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Barbara DiLorenzo’s first picture book was Renato and the Lion, which received a starred review from Booklist and was named a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, a Junior Library Guild selection, and a CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. She is also the author and illustrator of Quincy: The Chameleon Who Couldn’t Blend In, a finalist for the Crystal Kite Award. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, she has taught at the Arts Council of Princeton and the New York Institute of Art + Design. She lives with her family in central New Jersey. For more information, visit www.barbaradilorenzo.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Adults may learn a trick or two from Granddad’s model of patience, acceptance, communication, and support, while sensitive children will see they are not alone and that it’s OK to feel upset. . . . A sweet, specific, and straightforward tale of dealing with good and bad in the world." —Kirkus Reviews

"[Granddad’s] demeanor throughout the story models how caretakers can help a child work through difficult emotions. . . . His ability to be present to [Ava] exactly how she is allows her to start to be present to herself, as she uses her senses to become aware of the trees, birds, cool air, and earth around her." – Spirituality & Practice

From the Publisher

2022-06-08
Listening can make a difference.

Ava is waiting at school for her grandfather; they are going out to paint and picnic together, but Ava seems upset. Granddad allows her to open up at her own pace. Eventually Ava reveals that there was a lockdown drill at school, and she is feeling disturbed because she thought school already was safe. Granddad tells her about the “duck and cover” drills of his childhood. Confiding that sometimes he’s afraid, too, he reminds her that “even though the world is scary, it’s also a beautiful place,” and Ava feels a little better. Appealing and calming illustrations show the two reflecting and talking in a wooded area with a pond and ducks as they paint. When Ava’s fears arise again, she mentions what she’s seen on the news about schools. Granddad commiserates and lets her know that whether the world is “scary or beautiful or both,” he is “here to listen.” Adults may learn a trick or two from Granddad’s model of patience, acceptance, communication, and support, while sensitive children will see they are not alone and that it’s OK to feel upset. Granddad and Ava are brown-skinned, and the opening spread at Ava’s school depicts characters with Black and brown skin and a child who uses a wheelchair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet, specific, and straightforward tale of dealing with good and bad in the world. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews