A Perfect Day

The New York Times Book Review

A Perfect Day, though spare in words, evokes the greatest hits of snowy days, from steaming cups of hot chocolate to snowball fights. Its images—stark trees and strangely shaped clouds—capture something more elusive, the eerie otherworldliness of a landscape transformed.
—Susan Dominus

Publishers Weekly

“The whole world was white,” writes Berger in this hushed vision of a snowy day. Berger’s collages, however, are no simple “white”: her hilly snowscapes are crafted from lined paper, handwritten ledgers, and typewritten pages in creamy off-whites and pale yellows. Berger follows the activities of various children with birdlike faces, layered in winter plaids, before they “go home to warm hugs and dry clothes and steaming hot chocolate.” The pared-down prose both suggests the quiet stillness of a winter afternoon and lends itself to thoughtful consideration of each spread. Lovely. Ages 4–8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Nov.)

New York Times

Praise for THE LITTLE YELLOW LEAF:“Notebook paper brings schoolwork to mind, but with scissors Berger transforms the stuff of homework into art.

Children's Literature - Carrie Hane Hung

After much snow, the children come outside for a perfect day to enjoy and play in the snow. Emma is the first to leave footprints in the fresh snow and she is followed by Leo who makes tracks with his skis. Some children are throwing snowballs while other youngsters are building snowmen or sledding down the hill. The highlight of the day of day appears to be when all the children make snow angels together. As dusk arrives and the sky turns gray, the street lights flicker on and the playing draws to a close. The children return to their homes for warmth and hot chocolate. In the illustrations, Berger uses collages to portray the snow. The faded, light writing on the note and ledger papers creates the shade and texture of the snow on the ground. There is a point of confusion with the children in the pictures. The profile view of the children's faces seems to resemble either snowmen with pointy, carrot noses or birds with beaks. The book is better shared close-up (or small group) so that the children and the snow activities are easier to see. The story may be a wonderful way to wind down after a day of play in the snow. Reviewer: Carrie Hane Hung

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2—Berger is captivated by the look of the landscape after it has snowed and the interest that lines, shapes, textures, and light add to the view. Her cut-paper compositions build snow-covered hills with ledger-book paper that has been brushed with paint; the pale blue script and lines show through, adding depth and mystery. The text floats down with the flakes in the opening spread. On the following pages, tall bare trees and, later, glowing lampposts add a vertical dimension to the horizontal world. Children emerge singly and in small groups. First the focus is on footprints and the lines from skis and skates. Then it is on the fun of throwing snowballs, making snowmen and forts, and sledding. The climax is a spread of 18 snow angels, after which the youngsters proceed to their respective homes, which are spread out on the hillsides as in a Currier and Ives scene. Berger's brief narrative describes the children's actions; it is the pictures that convey the wonder. A quiet celebration of a phenomenon that transforms everything it touches.—Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

A charmingly illustrated catalog of things to do in the snow, Berger's latest nonetheless lacks a narrative to hold it together. After a gentle snowstorm, people come out to enjoy some winter fun. "Emma got to make the first tracks in the snow… // but then Leo whooshed by on his skis. // Otto got lost in a deep drift. // Sasha and Max showered Oscar with a wild flurry of snowballs…." And so it continues--a loose collection of winter activities, characters' names blending together and becoming meaningless in their sheer number--19 by the end, none repeating. They climb to the top of a snow mountain; build a fort and snowmen; sled; ice skate; make snow angels; and even open an icicle stand. As dusk descends, the warm lights guide them toward home, warm clothing and hot chocolate. The muted colors, clothing styles and sparse details in both the illustrations and the text lend this a retro feel that is echoed in the old-fashioned sleds and skates and the rustic, small-town setting. Berger's now-trademark illustration style is much in evidence here, white ephemera providing a snowy backdrop, while collaged elements give a 3-D, scrapbook effect. Quirky characters sport pointed orange noses and round heads like snowmen, making each one seem like a combination person/bird. With no story to follow, readers are not likely to ask for rereadings, however masterful the images. (Picture book. 2-5)