Module 2/Caldecott Medal Winners/Picture Books/June 9-June 15

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead 

Illustrated by Erin E. Stead

Stead, P.  (2010).  A sick day for Amos McGee.  New York:  Roaring Brook Press. 

Summary

Amos McGee is a man devoted to the animals at the zoo.  He works there but he also spends time with each of his special animals, doing something different.  With the elephant, he plays chess.  He reads to the owl who is scared at nighttime.  He helps the rhinoceros blow his nose because he constantly has a cold.  However, one day Amos wakes up and he is the one who is sick, so he decides to stay home.  The animals wait for him but he never comes.  Therefore, they all get on the bus and travel to Amos' house where it is their turn to take care of him.  

My Impression

I loved the book because of both the storyline and the beautiful illustrations.  They are very unique.  There is not a ton of color in the drawings but there is red somewhere in every page.  The illustrations are more like very detailed sketches; not the first type of illustration you would think of when reading a children's book.  I also love the way animals were incorporated into the story, like they were truly Amos' friend.  I believe this could be a great book to not only teach children about animals but also how it is important to love them and take care of them. 

Reviews and Awards

"Newcomer Erin Stead's elegant woodblock prints, breathtaking in their delicacy, contribute to the story's tranquility and draw subtle elements to viewers' attention: the grain of the woodblocks themselves, Amos's handsome peacock feather coverlet. Every face—Amos's as well as the animals'—brims with personality" 
(2010, May 10). [Review of the book A sick day  for Amos McGee].  Publisher's Weekly.   
      Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59643-402-8.

 "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, Sept. 23).  [Review of the book A sick day for Amos McGee].  Kirkus Reviews.

     Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/philip-c-stead/a-sick-day-for-

     amos-mcgee/.

2011 ALA Youth Media Award

2011 Caldecott Medal

Suggestions for Use

*Set up different stuffed animals around the library and have them doing what they would do in the book (have a chess board with a stuffed elephant, a book with the owl, etc.) and have a copy of the book sitting next to it to promote it.

*Schedule an activity day for the children who visit the library to take a field trip to the zoo to observe the animals described in the book.