A Day Off School by Oliver Jeffers, illustrated by Kevin Waldron (Philomel Books, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Herbie’s home sick from school…but not sick enough to stay in bed all day! He’s got a long list of things to do, like playing Space Blasters, making a pillow fort, and drawing dinosaurs. When lunch comes, Herbie’s surprised to realize he’s already worked his way through every item on his list. The afternoon drags, and he starts imagining increasingly audacious scenarios about what he might be missing at school. By the time his sister comes home, Herbie’s ready to go back to school, and the next day he does. And school is really boring.

While there may not be any great lessons to be learned here, kids and teachers alike will recognize the excitement of having a day off, only to realize they’re thinking about school…and that it’s still the same when they go back! The imaginative illustrations and real-life situations are a winning combination that will appeal to a wide variety of kids.

Today Is the Day! by Chelsea Lin Wallace, illustrated by Adam Rex (Chronicle Books, 44 pages, ages 4-8). The story is told from the perspective of a day. The day is born at sunrise. It says goodbye to thousands of people, while welcoming thousands more into the world. It celebrates millions of birthdays and becomes part of the 27,000 days that make up the lifetimes of many people. It’s the entire lifespan of a mayfly, and it sees the birth of many stars throughout the universe. As the sun sets, the day moves on to make room for other days, knowing that it will have been memorable for many people all around the world. Includes statistics on all the things that happen in one day.

This unique book will make readers stop and appreciate each day. The lush illustrations help convey the wonder, joy, and sadness that can be contained in a single day, and the back matter adds some interesting facts about all the things that happen around the world (and the universe) each day.