Summary: Amos McGee misses a day of work at the zoo and comes to find out just how much he is missed.
Citation: Stead, P. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
My Thoughts: A Sick Day for Amos McGee is an irreverent way to remind everyone to show that they care about others.
Reviews:
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, May 1, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 17))
Zookeeper Amos McGee always makes time to visit his good friends at work: he plays chess with the elephant, runs races with the tortoise (who always wins), sits quietly with the penguin, lends a handkerchief to the rhinoceros (who has a runny nose), and reads stories to the owl (who is afraid of the dark). Then, after Amos gets a cold, his friends miss him, and they leave the zoo and ride the bus to his place to care for him and cheer him up. Like the story, the quiet pictures, rendered in pencil and woodblock color prints, are both tender and hilarious. Each scene captures the drama of Amos and the creatures caring for each other, whether the elephant is contemplating his chess moves, his huge behind perched on a stool; or the rhinoceros is lending Amos a handkerchief; or the owl is reading them all a bedtime story. The extension of the familiar pet-bonding theme will have great appeal, especially in the final images of the wild creatures snuggled up with Amos in his cozy home. Preschool-Grade 2
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2010 (Vol. 78, No. 8)
Amos McGee, an elderly zookeeper, enjoys a clockwork life (one teaspoonful of sugar for oatmeal, two for tea and the number five bus to work) until the sniffles force him to stay in bed and miss his daily visits with animal friends. Fragile, gangly Amos, in striped pajamas and ill-fitting zoo uniform, appears as crushingly vulnerable as a child. Children will immediately like and understand him, as they too take comfort in reassuring routines—and would certainly love playing chess with an elephant or running races with a tortoise! Muted greens, browns and blues dominate pages, while brighter yellows and reds leaven the palette's mild melancholy. Erin E. Stead's beautifully wrought woodblock prints and pencil work create almost painfully expressive characters. Wrinkles and crinkles describe the elephant's sagging mass and the rhino's girth, as well as their keen sensitivity. Owl's furrowed brow communicates deep concern even as the group heads to Amos's home to check on him. This gentle, ultimately warm story acknowledges the care and reciprocity behind all good friendships: Much like Amos's watch, they must be wound regularly to remain true. 2010, Neal Porter/Roaring Brook, 32p, $16.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 2 to 6. Starred Review. © 2010 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
Suggested Uses: Students can engage in a fun extension by creating a group-written story on chart paper. Each group has the task of imagining that Amos McGee works somewhere besides a zoo and predicting what would have happened to him on a sick day from a different occupation.
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