A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Author: Philip C. Stead

Illustrator: Erin E. Stead

Roaring Book Press New York

Copyright 2010

15 Pages

Picture book

                I was first drawn to this book because of the title. In the story, Amos gets up and takes us through his day. He is a zoo keeper so he goes to take care of the animals. It tells of all the activities he does with all of the animals and what needs the animals have. The next day, Amos wakes up feeling under the weather. He does not show up at work so the animals decide to go take care of him.

                 I really enjoyed the illustrations throughout the story. They were very simple and sketched in pencil. I enjoyed that while simple, she still had some color here and there to make certain things pop off the page. She used a lot of cool colors to illustrate the story.

                I think that this book would be appropriate for kindergarten through third grade. This book could be used to address washing hands and other precautions for not getting sick and staying healthy. It could also spark a conversation about animals or going to the zoo. It could also lead into a discussion about daily routines and things the students do every day in order to get ready for school or for their day. This book was awarded with the Caldecott medal for outstanding illustrations.