Wednesdays and Fridays

Jenkins, Emily. 2007. What Happens On Wednesdays. Illustrated by Lauren Castillo.

While I loved the illustrations on What Happens on Wednesdays, I wasn't blown away by the text. The book is about a girl's sense of patterns or rituals. She doesn't keep track of time by looking at a clock. She makes sense of her world by sorting out how things fit into her daily routine--"what happens after lunch, after nap, after swimming, after the library" etc. While I can understand the concept, it was a bit confusing for me as well. The part that confused me was that the child kept referring over and over to the fact that "today was not a kissing day" and I just didn't know why. Does the child not like to be affectionate with her parents at all? If every day is "no kissing day" why make a big deal about it. And if the "no kissing day" is only one day a week, why have it? It's not like the parents stop hugging or kissing their daughter on 'no kissing day.' It just seemed silly. The overall concept is that a child is creating a "sensory" map of their neighborhood, of their life. What do they see, hear, smell, taste, touch in the process of a normal day. The book was fine in my opinion. It wasn't outstandingly great, but it wasn't bad. Just average. What I enjoyed most of all were the illustrations. I thought those were great.

Yaccarino, Dan. 2007. Every Friday.

I loved this book. Absolutely loved it. It is about family rituals. In particular it is about a father-son weekly ritual of having breakfast together at a local diner. Rituals are important in life. I think they are always important, but routine can be a great thing for a kid. This ritual starts with getting up extra-early, walking through the neighborhood to the diner, and eating pancakes. The text is simple. It doesn't need to be complex or wordy. Friday is my favorite day. Every friday, Dad and I leave the house early. Even if it is cold, snowing, sunny, or raining. There is beauty in simplicity. I loved the text. Loved it. But I loved the illustrations as well.