Genre-1: (Picture Book) A Sick Day for Amos McGee

A Sick Day for Amos by: Philip Stead 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stead, Philp. 2010. A SICK DAY FOR AMOS MCGEE. by Erin Stead. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 978-1-59643-402-8


PLOT SUMMARY

In the heart warming and inspirational picture book, Philip Stead created the perfect picture of the true meaning of friendship. Humble zookeeper, Amos McGee, always seemed to make time to visit his good friends: the elephant, the tortoise, the penguin, the rhinoceros, and the owl. Despite the quirks of each of Amos’ friends, Amos always seems to go out of his way to make each feel special every day. One day the friendly Zookeeper became ill, not returning to the zoo. Worried and concerned about Amos, his friends found a way to return the kindness that Amos had shown them. Through compassion and caring, Amos’ friends made it possible for Amos to return to the zoo the next day.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Philip Stead’s story is short in words, but powerful in meaning. Stead portrays in his writing the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” a message that will forever be in the minds and hearts of his readers.

Caldecott Medal award winner Erin Stead is the illustrator and wife of Philip Stead. Her illustrations are vivid, yet calm and soft in color, speaking loudly to the readers. Stead used an attractive woodblock printing process for creating her illustrations, considering every intricate detail from the City Zoo sign to the stop sign the mouse uses at the bus stop every morning with Amos McGee. Stead’s illustration, so detailed and slightly humorous, grab the attention of the reader and draw them directly into the life of Amos McGee.

Every classroom, home, backseat of a car, and doctor’s office should have a copy of Philip Stead's A Sick Day for Amos McGee. No matter the age, race, religion, or social economic status of the reader, there is a lifelong lesson to be learned from Philip Stead’s creative and heartwarming story of Amos McGee and his friends. The award winning picture book is a must read. Readers will not be disappointed in reading about the friendly Zookeeper Amos McGee.


REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

The Horn Book- Caldecott Medal 2011
The New York Times Book Review- Best Illustrated Children’s Books of 2010
School Library Journal-Featured as the Review of the Day: “It doesn’t parrot anyone, and when you read it you feel like you’ve know the book your whole life.”
Publishers Weekly- “Newcomer Erin Stead's elegant woodblock prints, breathtaking in their delicacy, contribute to the story's tranquility and draw subtle elements to viewers' attention.”
Kirkus Reviews- "Erin E. Stead’s beautifully wrought woodblock prints and pencil work create almost painfully expressive characters...This gentle, ultimately warm story acknowledges the care and reciprocity behind all good friendships."
Booklist- "Like the story, the quiet pictures, rendered in pencil and woodblock color prints, are both tender and hilarious… The extension of the familiar pet-bonding theme will have great appeal, especially in the final images of the wild creatures snuggled up with Amos in his cozy home.”

CONNECTIONS

If you are looking for an easy to read and creative way to explain the importance of friendship to readers, this is the book for you.

Activities:

This book and other books related to friendship can be presented to help promote positive attitudes towards making friends.
Related Friendship Books:
Friends to the End for Kids: The True Value of Friendship by: Bradley Trevor Greive ISBN: 0740756710
The Friendship Wish by: Elisa Kleven ISBN: 0525423745
Chester's Way by: Kevin Henkes ISBN: 0-688-15472-7

Friendship art activities and games are a great way to promote social interaction between children, creating relationship/friendships between one another.

Both activities were taken from the A to Z Kids Stuff Website.

Friendship Chain Activity

Give children strips of construction paper. Have everyone decorate and write the name of a friend on the strips. Let children take turns adding their strips to the chain. Display the chain in the classroom. Keep a supply of construction paper strips on hand and invite
the children to continue adding strips to the class friendship chain.

I'm Your Friend Activity

Children sit together on the floor or a rug. One child sits in the chair with his/her back to the group, with eyes closed and hands covering eyes. Someone from the group tiptoes up to the chair, taps the child sitting in it on the back, and in a disguised or funny voice says, "Do you know me? I'm your friend." The mystery child then rejoins the group and the guessing begins! The child in the chair uncovers his/her eyes, turns around, and tries to guess the name of the friend who tapped and talked. After three guesses, a new child takes the chair and gets a turn.