Hello, Day!

Publishers Weekly

It's a beautiful spring day, inspiring the denizens of farm, field and forest to offer up their full-throated version of the title greeting. "The Cow said, 'Moo,' " proclaims the text opposite a mild-mannered, sloe-eyed cow, her hide glowing with marker-like striations of peach, pink and brown. Like the other nine animals featured, the cow is portrayed in a stylized setting that's positively Edenic, filled with a rainbow of flowers, turquoise water and plump, leafy trees. Lobel (Alison's Zinnia) doesn't seem to be aiming for a realistic approximation of the sun's transit-in fact, the sky backdrop for the horse portrait ("Neigh") is an improbable but utterly fetching pink (all the better to set off the gray of the horse's coat). The sun remains a radiant orange ball in an upper corner of each image until the final pages, when it exits dramatically to make room for the moon (here Lobel cues a handsomely dappled owl). The luxuriantly hued, playfully textured portraits will rivet preschoolers and invite them to make animal sounds of their own; the minimal text, set in big, friendly type, may also encourage some simple word recognition. It's a familiar, basic idea, but Lobel makes it as fresh as a morning in May. Ages up to 3. (Apr.)

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Children's Literature

AGERANGE: Ages 3 mo. to 4.

Very few children in the last few decades have not delighted at one time or another in one of Anita Lobel's wonderful creations. As was true for Alison's Zinnias, the text is very simple and familiar but is enriched by the illustrations. Here, each spread has a richly colored picture of a domestic creature saying what it says, be it "moo," "woof," or "baa." Each sound is printed in large type that will build early alphabetic awareness. This book will be a wonderful addition to preschool classroom units about farm life. But there is another progression to be discovered in the illustrations--the rosy sky on the title page turns into a rising sun and then the sun moves across the sky until it sets and the book ends with a full moon and Good Night. With any luck Hello, Day will become a board book that infants and toddlers can enjoy. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry

School Library Journal

PreS- When the sun rises, familiar farm animals greet the dawn in their own ways. Naturally, "The rooster said, Cock-a-doodle-doo!'" He is followed by nine others who make their respective greetings. "What they all meant was, 'Hello, day!'" As the sun sets, only an owl "whoo-ooos" to say, "Good night." The layout is straightforward and consistent. A full-page illustration faces the text. Each line of text follows the same pattern as the rooster. Using a combination of materials, Lobel has created "folksy" yet realistic pictures. Each animal stands in a colorful field or garden with the sun shining brightly. Babies will be attracted to the many vivid colors, while toddlers will readily identify the familiar animals and their sounds. The old-fashioned simplicity makes this a great first book, and the repetition and large pictures make it a perfect choice for storytimes.-Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH

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Kirkus Reviews

Lobel once again demonstrates that in the hands of a skilled creator, simple is best. Ten farm creatures greet the sunrise with their characteristic voices, e.g., "The Cat said, ‘Meow.' The Mouse said, ‘Eeeek.' / The Rabbit said, ‘Pr-pr-pr.' " One side of each spread depicts the animal with the apposed, large-type text set against white with the sound in a correlating color. Last is the owl "whoo" welcomes the night. Other picture books have illustrated a similar theme and approach, but few have the panache of Lobel's palette, flow, composition and brushwork. Her style is a luxurious blend of folk paintings, Monet-like imagery and irradiated color. The toddler set will squeal with delight, point to the animal, echo the sound and then say, "Read it again!" One hopes there's a companion book for evening just around the corner. (Picture book. 1-4)