A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Written by: Philip C. Stead

Illustrated by: Erin E. Stead

Published by: Roaring Brook Press, 2010

ISBN 978-1-59643-402-8

Plot Summary:

Amos McGhee, wakes up every day at the same time, puts on the same outfit, and catches the same bus to his job at the City Zoo. Amos’ job consists of playing chess with the elephant, racing the tortoise, keeping the penguin company, wiping the rhino’s runny nose, and reading bedtime stories to the owl (who, of course, is afraid of the dark). Amos’ routine is interrupted one morning when he wakes up with a cold. He must stay home from the City Zoo, but he isn’t alone for long. The animals hop onto the bus and head to Amos’ house where they entertain him by playing games, like chess and hide-and-seek. The animals also help Amos by keeping his feet warm, wiping his nose, reading him a bedtime story, and much more.

Critical Analysis:

The story of Amos and his zoo friends is a delightful story of true companionship. Amos, the caring, grandfather-like zookeeper, will easily win the hearts of readers. Stead creates a wonderful and engaging story without overwhelming a new reader with content. Most of the pages contain no more than one sentence, while a few contain only illustrations. Readers will be engaged by the beautiful, but simple, illustrations throughout the story. The colors used are muted, friendly, and full of emotion. The pictures in this book can truly tell the story on their own. There are happy surprises to be found in the illustrations like a red balloon, bunny slippers, and a friendly teddy bear.

Awards and Reviews:

Caldecott Medal (2011)

Notable Children’s Book (2011)

School Library Journal: Kindergarten-Grade 2—Amos McGee, an elderly man who works at the zoo, finds time each day for five special friends. With empathy and understanding he gives the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl the attention they need. One morning, Amos wakes up with a bad cold and stays home in bed. His friends wait patiently and then leave the zoo to visit him. Their trip mirrors his daily bus ride to the zoo and spans three nearly wordless spreads. Amos, sitting up in bed, clasps his hands in delight when his friends arrive. The elephant plays chess with him, and the tortoise plays hide-and-seek. The penguin keeps Amos's feet warm, while the rhinoceros offers a handkerchief when Amos sneezes. They all share a pot of tea. Then the owl, knowing that Amos is afraid of the dark, reads a bedtime story as the other animals listen. They all sleep in Amos's room the rest of the night. The artwork in this quiet tale of good deeds rewarded uses woodblock-printing techniques, soft flat colors, and occasional bits of red. Illustrations are positioned on the white space to move the tale along and underscore the bonds of friendship and loyalty. Whether read individually or shared, this gentle story will resonate with youngsters.

Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC.

Booklist: Zookeeper Amos McGee always makes time to visit his good friends at work: he plays chess with the elephant, runs races with the tortoise (who always wins), sits quietly with the penguin, lends a handkerchief to the rhinoceros (who has a runny nose), and reads stories to the owl (who is afraid of the dark). Then, after Amos gets a cold, his friends miss him, and they leave the zoo and ride the bus to his place to care for him and cheer him up. Like the story, the quiet pictures, rendered in pencil and woodblock color prints, are both tender and hilarious. Each scene captures the drama of Amos and the creatures caring for each other, whether the elephant is contemplating his chess moves, his huge behind perched on a stool; or the rhinoceros is lending Amos a handkerchief; or the owl is reading them all a bedtime story. The extension of the familiar pet-bonding theme will have great appeal, especially in the final images of the wild creatures snuggled up with Amos in his cozy home.

Hazel Rochman

Connections:
How fun it would be to compare this book to Peggy Rathman’s Good Night, Gorilla? Readers can share why or why they would not enjoy a job as a zookeeper. Would they be brave enough to play chess with an elephant. What would it be like if the zoo animals decided to take the bus to their house? Which games or toys would be good for animals to play with in the reader’s room?

Enlighten readers by using a new art medium! The illustrations in this book were created using pencil and woodblock printing. Contact a local artist and give the kids a try at woodblock printmaking, surely a new medium for most.