Nothing Ever Happens on a Gray Day
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
With fantastic bursts of color and lyricism, Grant Snider explores the extraordinary within the ordinary in this ode to seemingly boring days and the wonders that emerge for anyone open to seeing them.
The sky is gloomy and the world feels like it's asleep . . . but perhaps all that's required for adventure is a bit of curiosity and patience. After all, an everyday stroll can become an adventure in the blink of an eye.
On a day when even the rain is too bored to fall, ride alongside a girl on her rickety bicycle through the familiar scenes of her neighborhood as she rediscovers the colors—a splash of yellow, a flash of red, a flutter of blue—that can be found even when all seems monochrome. In this artful picture book that celebrates do-nothing days and solitary adventures, readers learn how embracing quiet stillness with openness and curiosity can make space for unexpected encounters, meaningful detours, and some of life's most unforgettable moments. With luminous illustrations that practically glow on the page, Grant Snider takes readers on a visual journey they'll want to return to again and again.
TEACHING MINDFULNESS FOR KIDS: Grant Snider's luminous illustrations will captivate even the most restless young readers, while the story subtly teaches the benefits of patience, silent observation, and mindful awareness.
CONNECTING WITH NATURE: Both art and story will inspire children to approach nature with reverence and wonder, explore the outdoors, and learn more about their local environment.
OVERCOMING BOREDOM: Themes of childhood boredom and loneliness are addressed in a gentle and heartfelt way, encouraging a spirit of exploration, curiosity, and connection with the natural world.
RAINY DAY LOVERS: For those who appreciate the coziness and comfort of a rainy day, this book is a must-have.
STORYTIME READ-ALOUD: The gentle pace and lilting rhythm make this a soothing read for storytime at home, at school, or in a library.
Perfect for:Parents and grandparents of introspective, introverted, or independent daydreamersReaders who enjoy kids adventure stories and books about natureFamilies and classrooms seeking a great read-aloud bookFans of Grant Snider's previous titles, including What Color Is Night?, What Sound Is Morning?, and There Is a Rainbow
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A lanky child with dark straight hair and skin that reflects the white of the page narrates this meditation on the way boredom can turn into perception. In a last-ditch effort to fight the lassitude of a day so gray that "even the rain is too bored to fall," the youth takes off on a rickety bicycle and rides through town, "past quiet apartments/ and loud barking dogs," arriving at a playground enclosed by a chain-link fence. But nothing's doing there, either, and they're greeted only by "lonely see-saws" and "creaky swings." Beyond the playground, though, a winding path that leads to a creek offers discoveries with scope for imagination—an old silo-shaped building ("A forgotten castle?") and a culvert ("a deep, dark cave? ECHO!")—suggesting itself as a place to wait for something to happen. Pared-down illustrations by Snider (One Boy Watching) feature a stick figure–like protagonist amid a palette of grays and stylized primary shades. After an encounter with the natural world interrupts the monotony, those same hues jump out of the landscape ("Hello, red bike.// Hello, yellow leaf") in this vivid tracing of interior transformation. Ages 5–8.
