For Just One Day

Title: For Just One  Day     
Author: Laura Leuck   
Illustrator: Marc Boutavant 
Publisher: Chronicle Books 
Publication Date: August, 2009 
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book 
GoodReads Summary: For just one day, I'd like to be a busy, buzzing bumble...BEE!

What child hasn't pretended to be a monkey, a bear, or a bumblebee? After imagining the fun of being a variety of animals from around the world, a sweet ending—and an attached mirror—remind little ones that the very best thing they can be is exactly who they are. 
What I Think: Yellow is my favorite color (currently) so the cover of this book makes me so happy! I think that's why it caught my eye. Inside, the main character imagines that it might be like to be able to be a different animal just for one day. There are clues given on every page and kids have to guess what animal he is daydreaming about. The animal rhymes with the clues so kids can anticipate which animal is coming next. These kind of books are so much fun because they really get kids' brains going as they try to think ahead and join in on the reading. It reminded me a tiny bit of the song on Sesame Street that Ernie used to sing about wanting to travel and visit exciting places...but that in the end he always wants to be back home an to be himself.
   The message that it's okay to imagine but that we do have to appreciate and love who we are and where we are is so important. It's easy, especially as kids, to get lost in all the things we want which makes it so important to remember to not take what we do have for granted. 
Read Together: Grades Pre-K - 3 
Read Alone: Grades K - 3 
Read With: My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss, One by Kathryn Otoshi, Chloe, Instead by Micah Player 
Snatch of Text:  

"But what if I could be swim the Nile - 

and be a creeping...

crocodile!

I'd have the sharpest, snapping smile, 

if I could be a crocodile."

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Expository, Narrative, Point of View, Perspective, Alliteration, Rhyme
Writing Prompts: Write about an animal that you would like to be for a day, explain why you would want to be that animal. Write a story from an animal's perspective - pretend that you are the animal and write a story from its point of view.
Topics Covered: Imagination, Animals, Self-Esteem

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