Tuesday: Bedhead

If you saw me walking to school this morning, I apologize on behalf of my bedhead. It was truly epic and yet, for a variety of reasons (spilled oatmeal, exploding kitty litter and a late alarm clock notwithstanding) I did not have time to tame the beast. So I subjected you all to its horror. And for that I am truly sorry. I feel much better, though, knowing that Oliver, the mane, er, I mean, main character in Margie Palatini’s delightful book Bedhead has it much worse. Poor Oliver wakes up. Shuffles into the bathroom. Takes one look into the mirror. And there it is. Bedhead. Even the back of his head looks like a cat’s “coughed-up furball.” Trust me, I can relate. So Oliver’s family takes action and tries combing, brushing, moussing, gelling – to no avail. Only a baseball cap will help at this late hour. But when Oliver arrives at school and its PICTURE DAY for heaven’s sake (no baseball caps allowed), what will our follicularly challenged child do? A marvelous book for any and all who have suffered through bedhead…or are still recovering from seeing mine.

Tuesday: One of Those Days

For anyone who has ever had “one of those days” this is the book for you. As grown-ups, those days might be called “Ran out of Gas Day” or “Hair Dryer Broke Day” or even “Toilet Overflowed Day.” But for children, as Amy Krouse Rosenthal so beautifully writes, those days include “Not Big Enough Day” and, even worse, “Nobody’s Listening to You Day.” Like a laundry list of really awful holidays, Rosenthal’s book depicts each potential rotten day with insight and, above all, humor. The book is blessed with Rebecca Doughty’s cartoon-like drawings, which perfectly capture each grimace, groan and “grrr” of the afflicted children. Grown-ups and children alike can both have their days completely derailed by one little thing – like the day my sweater fell in the toilet in 4th grade – and this morning when my toothbrush did. And this lovely little book reminds us that it’s OK to have one of those days. And there’s always tomorrow…