A Picture Book a Day for a Year: Day 144

Picture Book: The Blue Day Book for Kids: A Lesson in Cheering Yourself Up

Author & Photographer: Bradley Trevor Greive

Summary: This book is comprised of the author’s poignant and often funny animal photographs. The captions encourage children to consider when you have a “blue day,” a day when nothing goes as it should. The author has readers reflect on all the feelings that accompany those days while offering some simple strategies for dealing with those emotions in order to get past a blue day.

Hanna’s Comments: Based on a successful adult book published in 2000, these endearing photographs really will bring a smile to someone who is feeling blue. More importantly, it offers the opportunity for children to explore and identify feelings no matter what kind of day they are having. Building this kind of emotional intelligence in our children is always a constructive activity. In a religious community, you have the added benefit of offering the comfort and hope that your faith tradition offers. Because of this book, that conversation will likely be sprinkled with some giggles and awes.

Publisher & Date of Publication: Andrew McMeel Publishing, 2005

Age & Grade Appropriateness: 2 and up, toddler and up

# of Pages: 48

Available in Spanish? Not at present

Formats other than Book: None at present

PBT Category: Non-fiction

PBT Topics this Book Connects with: animals, brokenness, depression/despair/sadness/sorrow, comfort, covenant/promises/vows, emotions/feelings, lamentations, prayer, problems/problem solving, reflection

Scripture Connections: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18); cast your burdens on the Lord (Psalm 55:22); comfort, comfort my people (Isaiah 40:1); let not your hearts be troubled (John 14:1)

Idea(s) for Application: Children need specific models for prayer. Use this book and the situations if offers as starting points for demonstrating specific prayer practices and assurance that God has promised to comfort us. For children, this might feel safer and be more light-hearted than digging into a difficult, emotionally heavy situation.