Today is the day (for books!)
Can we read? No. 158
Hello, hello.
I am on a work trip this week, but I hope you are well and putting one foot in front of the other with more ease than effort.
Today is the Day by Chelsea Lin Wallace, illustrated by Adam Rex (2026)
🧒 Preschool–Early Reader (3–6)
📖 Independent Readers (6–9)
📚 Middle Grade (9–12)
This newsletter has basically just become an Adam Rex stan account, but I make no apologies — he’s creating some incredible books these days. In this lovely, brand-new title, his vibrant digital illustrations complement Lin Wallace’s poetic, joyful text, as together they imagine a single day as something alive — born at sunrise, full of possibility.
Over the hours and around the globe, the story, as it were, zooms out to show everything that happens in a day, to the earth and to people, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. When the Day realizes how fleeting it is, things gently shift — there is a deep vein of reassurance and comfort here — offering a sense of purpose and perspective.
This is a beautiful book — a thoughtful, philosophical invitation for young readers to see each day not as small, but as full, and maybe even more important, valuable. Its message is less about seizing the day and more about noticing the life we live inside it.
Little Night/Nochecita by Yuyi Morales (2006)
🍼 Babies & Toddlers (0–3)
🧒 Preschool–Early Reader (3–6)
”As the long day comes to an end, Mother Sky fills the tub with falling stars and calls, “Bath time for Little Night!” But Little Night, like children everywhere, won’t come — saying instead, “You have to find me, Mama. Find me now!”
In this gentle story, Mother Sky has more patience than I do (ahem), and she plays along with her daughter — peeking into a rabbit hole to find Little Night and scoop her up for a scrub. But Little Night keeps goofing off, calling, “Not until you find me, Mama!” and scampering away. Their warm, loving (really infinitely patient) game of hide-and-seek continues through pancakes, milk, and hair-brushing, until Little Night is finally ready to take her moon ball and go out to play.
Morales’ stunning celestial illustrations enchant and offer the perfect entry into this dreamy bilingual tale, which invites readers to romp and imagine their way through what could be — but doesn’t have to be — mundane, everyday routines.
Where’s Halmoni? by Julie Kim (2017)
📖 Independent Readers (6–9)
📚 Middle Grade (9–12)
In this wildly clever adventure tale, a brother and a sister arrive at their grandmother’s house only to find her missing: where’s Halmoni? (“Halmoni” is Korean for grandmother.) This question leads them to a window — which of course they crawl into — only to find themselves in a strange, unrecognizable, fantastical world.
Nevertheless, they are determined to find their beloved Halmoni, and so they bravely forge ahead, encountering a bevy of mysterious creatures along the way — first, an anxious-but-adorable rabbit, who chatters at them in Korean; then a group of dokkebi (goblins), who steal the kids’ snacks; a tiger in possession of Halmoni’s pot; and a wily, bushy-tailed fox — before finally returning to Halmoni’s house to find their grandmother, safe and sound. (Be sure to look closely at the endpapers to see if Halmoni is aware of the magic of her window…)
Kim’s watercolor illustrations are full of action — this is a graphic novel picture book, really — and practically glow off the page, which, combined with her creative and entertaining tale, showcases her prodigious talent.
Where’s Halmoni? isn’t going to please every reader — and that’s okay. The ones that are into it will love it; the ones that don’t get it, won’t, but it’s worth a try to see if it’s a fit because it’s a fun and even kind of fascinating read.
The Mistakes That Made Us: Confessions from Twenty Poets, selected by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Mercè López (2024)
📖 Independent Readers (6–9)
📚 Middle Grade (9–12)
I’ll buy anything by the amazing duo, Latham and Waters, whose work together has produced what I consider some of the best children’s poetry of the last decade — but this title surpassed even what I expected from them.
Here, “confessions from twenty poets” is exactly what it sounds like — twenty poets share about the various mistakes they’ve made in their lives, first with a poem about what happened, and then a sidebar with further details about the incident and why they’ve carried it with them all this time. Think less morality tale and more deep emotional honesty — all the embarrassment, shame, horror, guilt, and humanity that comes from messing up.
That sounds kind of bleak, except when you consider that every last one of us has made mistakes that we carry with us — many of which occurred in childhood. (López’s rich mixed-media illustrations also balance the heartbreak with the humor of some of these events.) The normalizing of this, not to mention the beautiful poetry itself, is the great and lasting gift of this book.
My kids and I have had so many conversations sparked by these poems, and I can’t think of a much stronger recommendation than that. This is perfect for kiddos ages 8-14.
Thanks for reading today!
Sarah
Ok, I need that poetry book.
Thoroughly enjoyed these reviews!