WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY?

Forward offers a unique twist on a familiar theme: the first day of school. Brief sentences describe the time in which a mother and her son are apart, from drop-off to pick-up. Young readers will recognize the familiar rhythms of their own days in the child’s narrative, which includes circle time, snack, and active play. Although the protagonist’s voice seems to be that of the young boy, the generalized descriptions work to incorporate the day’s activities of mom as well. The layout further supports this, as do Thompson’s lively watercolor illustrations. Each spread represents one facet of the child’s day. Above the text is an illustration depicting the child engaged in the activity described, while the facing page slyly reveals his mom engaged in a parallel, adult version. Thought bubbles pepper the illustrations, showing that the two are often thinking of each other during their day. Anxious first-timers, of both the youngster and grown-up variety, will find Forward’s comforting tale vastly reassuring. (Picture book. 4-6)