Cozy Childhood Winter Memories Revisited in A Perfect Day

    


        Warm winter memories of my childhood came flooding back after reading, A Perfect Day by author/illustrator Carin Berger to my class of First Graders last week.  Sledding down the hills of the local state park only minutes from my home; making varying, but mostly unsuccessful attempts at dodging snowballs from my uncle; making slides in the towering snow piles that were, at least to my young eyes, taller than the oak trees.  Our tiny hands and faces would be flushed red from the icy cold winds and temperatures, but yet nothing would make us go back into the house, except the promise of steaming hot Ovaltine with tiny marshmallows that my grandma would make that was always guaranteed to shake the cold out of us.

     Although my "Floridian" Pre-K and Kindergarten students may have never seen a snowflake yet, this lovely, charming tale brought to life the delights of winter to my students.  They were in awe of the fact that they would be able to build forts out of snow drifts; and how each tiny snowflake is different from the next.
      Berger's subtle use of rhyming and alliteration in the simple yet spare text shines amidst a beautifully illustrated artwork backdrop.  The unique, yet absolutely stunning use of cut-paper collages helps to make this one of the most imaginative and delightful tales that assists us with celebrating the special joys that this season brings to so many of us.

A Perfect Day
Written and Illustrated by Carin Berger
For ages 4 to 8
Publisher:  Greenwillow Books (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
$16.99 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-0-06-201580-8
Website:  www.harpercollinschildrens.com