Dan Yaccarino's Every Friday was the first book I read this year and I have read it aloud many times in the months since. I am familiar with Yaccarino's books and the animated series Oswald, but I was simply bowled over by the magical simplicity of this story of a father and son together in the city. "Friday is my favorite day," the little boy states on the first page. And, soon, we find out why. Friday is his morning to have breakfast at the diner with dad. Getting there is half the fun. We see the twosome, in all sorts of weather, making their way past the familiar shops, waving at the familiar people and counting the familiar dogs along the way. And when they get to the diner at last, their waitress knows just what the little boy wants: pancakes. Yaccarino's retro illustrations with their clean, deep colors, make this a book to visit again and again. The close-up near the end says it all, "While we eat, Dad and I talk about all sorts of things." Taking the time to talk and be listened to is what all children want, and this book reminds us why those simple times are so important.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
