One of my favorite books

The Blue Day Book by Bradley Trevor Greive is the one single book I reach for time and again at school. It’s a lesson in cheering yourself up that’s told through amusing photographs of animals. I love the photography in this book and it’s all in black & white.

As most of you know, I work in the main office of a K-12 private school and I’ve read this book to countless children since it was given to me years ago as a gift by my friend, Kathy Jules. She’s the one from my Mustard Story.

I usually read the blue book when young children are upset because their parents are running late but today a young girl came into the office and it turned out to be the one thing she needed.

She was in middle school and was in tears because of some small infraction that she’d committed. This was her First Time Ever to sit in the hard chairs of the school office (I will probably never see her in there again) and she was visibly upset to the point of tears.

So I handed her this book, telling her that she looked a little blue and maybe it would help. She held it for a little while not looking at it and I went about my work.

I looked up about 10 minutes later and saw that she was smiling.

The book tells you that everybody has blue days.

Being blue can cause a person to do things that they normally wouldn’t do.

Funny pictures ensue. These are some of my favorite pages I’m posting here.

I just laugh out loud at this photo. Gets me every time, too.

I don’t think it was intended as a children’s book. The vocabulary is a little advanced, and the tongue in cheek writing may be a little above their heads.

But they get the picture.

Sometimes I’m sort of glad that parents are running late and their little ones need something to take their mind off of Not Being Picked Up.

This is a serious infraction, parents.

 

But it’s ok. And it doesn’t happen that often. I got them giggling while they wait.

Things could be so much worse, the book tells you. You could be afflicted with a demeaning nickname.

And if your child doesn’t know that word yet, they will now.

 

You can cheer yourself up just reading this book. The photographs are superb, the writing flows effortlessly as you slowly turn the pages.

And suddenly, you’re smiling again.

I love reading this book. And now my work here is done.

Until later, my friends . . .

PS ~ I’m taking a couple of days off and will fill you in later. I hope to be back by Sunday. It’s not for anything super exciting, so don’t get your hopes up!