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An Ordinary Day Hardcover – Picture Book, March 10, 2020

by Elana K. Arnold (Author), Elizabet Vukovic (Illustrator)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 64 ratings
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An ordinary day in an ordinary neighborhood turns out to be quite extraordinary in this moving story about the circle of life.

It’s an average day in the neighborhood—children play, roses are watered, and a crow watches over it all. But then two visitors arrive at two houses, one to help a family say hello to a new baby and one to help a family say goodbye to a beloved pet. This sensitive picture book takes a gentle look at life, death, the bonds of family, and the extraordinary moments that make ordinary days so special.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    Baby - 8 years
  2. Print length
    40 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Lexile measure
    610L
  5. Dimensions
    8.5 x 0.4 x 11 inches
  6. Publisher
    Beach Lane Books
  7. Publication date
    March 10, 2020
  8. ISBN-10
    1481472623
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1481472623
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

On any given day in this idyllic suburban neighborhood, children play, plants are watered, and people come and go from houses. On this day, those ordinary things are happening—but also so much more. In two houses, side by side, a quiet waiting occurs. Two visitors arrive, each with a stethoscope and small bag. In one home, a racially diverse family of two women and three children has come to the sad decision that their beloved dog must be put to sleep. Meanwhile, next door, a brown-skinned man, woman, and child await the arrival of a new baby. Vucovi’s softly colored illustrations, rendered in subdued charcoal, pastel, watercolor, ink, and graphite, contrast the concurrent events. Perspective is anchored by the ominous, unifying presence of “Magnificent the Crow,” a bird that appears on the first page and departs in the final spread, providing readers with a safe distance from this universal but deeply intimate narrative. Profound in the way it underscores how “life-changing” events are happening all the time—even as regular life continues—this book is especially effective at communicating big, difficult concepts to children in terms they will understand, despite—or, perhaps, because of—being quiet and understated. Many will be moved by the artful book design and a thoughtfully simple text that delineate an extraordinary ordinary day. -- Booklist *Starred* ― December 15, 2019

About the Author

Elana K. Arnold writes books for and about children and teens. She holds a master’s degree in creative writing/fiction from the University of California, Davis, where she has taught creative writing and adolescent literature. She is a frequent speaker at schools, libraries, and writers’ conferences. She is the author of several acclaimed young adult novels including the Printz Honor book Damsel and National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made of, as well as her picture books All by Himself?, What Riley Wore,and An Ordinary Day. Currently, Elana is the caretaker of seven pets, only two of which have fur. She lives in Long Beach, California, and you can visit her at ElanaKArnold.com.

Elizabet Vukovic is a freelance illustrator born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where she still resides. As a kid she had quite an imagination, which she expressed mostly on paper, since acting out her ideas was an annoyance to her siblings. She now devotes herself fulltime to illustration for children and other venues. When not obsessing about art (which isn’t very often) Elizabet enjoys long bicycle rides, traveling, and bugging her elderly cats.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Beach Lane Books; Illustrated edition (March 10, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1481472623
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1481472623
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ Baby - 8 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 610L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.4 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 64 ratings

About the author

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Elana K. Arnold

Elana K. Arnold

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Elana K Arnold writes books for and about children and teens. Her oeuvre includes DAMSEL, a Printz Honor Winner and a finalist for the California Book Award; WHAT GIRLS ARE MADE OF, a finalist for the National Book Award and the California Book Award and the winner of the Golden Kite Award; A BOY CALLED BAT, a 2018 Global Read Aloud selection; and INFANDOUS, which won the Moonbeam Children's Book Award and the Westchester Fiction Prize. Her books have garnered many starred reviews and have been featured on numerous “Best Books of the Year” lists. She teaches in Hamline University’s low residency MFA program in Writing for Children and Teens and lives in Southern California with her family and a menagerie of animals.

You can sign up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/g9i6Kj

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
64 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

WordNerd153
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely beautiful
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
One of my favorite recently published picture books. Beautiful juxtaposition of happy moments and grief, showing readers the universality of emotions and circumstances.
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Katie Reilley
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, honest picture book that pulls all the feels out of you.
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
A beautiful, honest picture book that pulls all the feels out of you. Family. Connectivity. Cycle of life. This book is absolutely breathtaking, and I can’t wait to read it with students in front of me.
One person found this helpful
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Alex Owens
4.0 out of 5 stars Simple book about life and death
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2020
Verified Purchase
This is a very simple book about how an ordinary day for some can be life changing for others. On an ordinary day, one family experiences new life (birth of a child) while another family experiences loss (death of a pet). It’s a great book to introduce those two topics to young readers, it’s very simple.

My children have dealt with a great deal of birth and death, so we returned this book as it wasn’t an area we needed more coverage. It’s a beautiful book, just wasn’t a fit for our family.
One person found this helpful
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Brad
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly memorable story
Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2020
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This is such a lovely, heartfelt story with truly beautiful illustrations. It’s the kind of story that caused my little ones to lean-in while I was reading it. Balances lightness and darkness with grace.
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Jana Stillwell
5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet story of life.
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2021
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Loved the story & author!
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Carol Gordon Ekster
5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing ordinary about this beautiful picture book!
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2024
Nothing ordinary about this beautiful book. Touching and life affirming. Just lovely!
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Mark K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect if you've recently experienced a death or if you're about to
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2024
I literally love everything about this book! It's a tear-jerker and it's also LIFE. We need more death education, especially for young people with special needs. We need to prepare them for ALL facets of life. Do we really think they will never experience a death? That would be naive not to mention irresponsible. Do yourself and your child a HUGE FAVOR, get it now so you are prepared when the time comes! When that time does come, you won't be shopping...
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Top reviews from other countries

Lucy Snoew
5.0 out of 5 stars LGBT normalised but not the centre of the story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
A lovely story about two neighbouring households: one says goodbye to an old doggie and the other hello to a new baby.
Diverse families (race and LGBTQ+) are embedded sensitively - there in the illustrations but normalised and just there - part of ordinary life - as they should be.
We are a two mummy family (twin toddlers and a baby) but my conversations whilst reading this book to my 3yo twins were about death/loss/comfort and new life/new babies. It's a lovely story - detailed, soft illustrations.
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