by Cynthia Rylant (2009)
I have always been drawn to the art of Nikki McClure, and it was her art on the cover that drew me to this book. Her beautiful illustrations seem like simple block prints at first, until you realize that they are intricately cut paper collages. This book especially seems intricate, because although all of the pages are done in black, white, and a single background color, there are hidden animals and plants that make you look more closely as a reader (like hunting for the boy's pet chicken on certain pages). The text is simple and carries a nice message about living a day to its fullest potential, but it really seems peripheral to the illustrations. The word choice almost evokes children's stories from the 1960s or before because of its simplicity and regular meter. This being said, I still think children today would enjoy the message and enjoy exploring the countryside with the boy in the story.
In very young children this book could be used to show poetry, although some of the stanzas are broken up between pages and it does not read as fluidly as other texts may. Since I connect more with the art in this book I would be more likely to use it as an example in an art class or during an art activity. Due to the clarity of the images in three colors and the strength of the lines I think this could be a great example for any number of art activities. If students were working on silhouettes or other paper cutting techniques this book could show them the complexity of the medium.
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