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The Sick Day
Emily has a stomachache in her head, a headache in her throat, and an occasional urge to swallow up instead of down. Not a great start to the day, but Patricia MacLachlan's timeless book proves that even the worst of days can turn out okay. Emily and Father try various ways to help Emily feel better -- everything from looking for her favorite blanket, Frederick, to putting her hair in ponytails. And while Father can't make the sickness go away, his loving attention and tender care make Emily's sick day far more tolerable. William Pene du Bois' illustrations have long enchanted young readers, and continue to do so here.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1979
3 people are currently reading
36 people want to read
About the author
Patricia MacLachlan
125 books808 followersPatricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie, and always carried a small bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she went to remind her of what she knew first. She was the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; and Three Names, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. She lived in western Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 31, 2022
Well, I was hoping that Open Library would have the 1979 edition of Patricia MacLachlan’s picture book The Sick Day available for downloading (the one illustrated by William Pène du Bois), but sadly and frustratingly, only the 2003 edition of The Sick Day (with pictures by Jane Dyer) is currently “on the shelves” at Open Library, a bit disappointing, as I have read that William Pène du Bois’ illustrations for The Sick Day are supposed to have a delightful old fashioned quality and feel to them, but I guess I will have to take and make do with what I can proverbially get here.
And after now having read The Sick Day (the 2003 edition on Open Library), I most definitely do think that Jane Dyer’s illustrations work pretty well with Patricia MacLachlan’s presented text, that they do a decent enough job mirroring MacLachlan’s words and even at times visually expand a bit on them (but that yes, there does seem to sometimes be just a bit of a caesura between the 1979 text and the 2003 artwork, not enough to become problematic and that the intended audience would probably not even notice, but that I certainly did while reading the 2003 edition The Sick Day occasionally feel that Jane Dyer’s art is not always totally visually corresponding to Patricia MacLachlan’s 1979 writing and vice versa (and that yes, I now definitely want to get my hands on the original 1979 publication of The Sick Day as William Pène du Bois’ artwork would likely appeal to me more and to also present itself as more solidly authentic regarding the publication date).
Now regarding Patricia MacLachlan’s storyline for The Sick Day (and I am going to assume that there have not been any textual changes and alterations made for the 2003 edition), generally reading about young Emily’s bout of stomach flu and how her father manages to keep her entertained and comfortable without losing his patience (even though you can tell that he is sometimes rather about to) has been delightfully sweet (and also a bit nostalgic), and with me in particular appreciating that when next morning, Emily’s father has of course and naturally caught and come down with his daughter’s stomach bug, Emily then tries to take care of her father like he had yesterday taken care of her, a nice piece of textual reciprocity. And indeed, I am with regard to The Sick Day also left smiling with both appreciation and joy that Emily is not depicted and described by Patricia MacLachlan in The Sick Day as being inherently self centred, that she might be a bit demanding because she is feeling ill but that once her bug has passed, Emily immediately tries to return the favour so to speak, that she tries to help out and entertain her father when he himself becomes sick (and of course, not to mention that for 1979, having in The Sick Day Patricia MacLachlan show the father taking care of his daughter, while the mother is away at work, yes, that does fee delightfully avant guarde).
And after now having read The Sick Day (the 2003 edition on Open Library), I most definitely do think that Jane Dyer’s illustrations work pretty well with Patricia MacLachlan’s presented text, that they do a decent enough job mirroring MacLachlan’s words and even at times visually expand a bit on them (but that yes, there does seem to sometimes be just a bit of a caesura between the 1979 text and the 2003 artwork, not enough to become problematic and that the intended audience would probably not even notice, but that I certainly did while reading the 2003 edition The Sick Day occasionally feel that Jane Dyer’s art is not always totally visually corresponding to Patricia MacLachlan’s 1979 writing and vice versa (and that yes, I now definitely want to get my hands on the original 1979 publication of The Sick Day as William Pène du Bois’ artwork would likely appeal to me more and to also present itself as more solidly authentic regarding the publication date).
Now regarding Patricia MacLachlan’s storyline for The Sick Day (and I am going to assume that there have not been any textual changes and alterations made for the 2003 edition), generally reading about young Emily’s bout of stomach flu and how her father manages to keep her entertained and comfortable without losing his patience (even though you can tell that he is sometimes rather about to) has been delightfully sweet (and also a bit nostalgic), and with me in particular appreciating that when next morning, Emily’s father has of course and naturally caught and come down with his daughter’s stomach bug, Emily then tries to take care of her father like he had yesterday taken care of her, a nice piece of textual reciprocity. And indeed, I am with regard to The Sick Day also left smiling with both appreciation and joy that Emily is not depicted and described by Patricia MacLachlan in The Sick Day as being inherently self centred, that she might be a bit demanding because she is feeling ill but that once her bug has passed, Emily immediately tries to return the favour so to speak, that she tries to help out and entertain her father when he himself becomes sick (and of course, not to mention that for 1979, having in The Sick Day Patricia MacLachlan show the father taking care of his daughter, while the mother is away at work, yes, that does fee delightfully avant guarde).
July 6, 2020
Patricia MacLachlan has made such a deep imprint on the history of children's literature that it feels as if her stories have existed forever. But some book had to be her first, and The Sick Day (1979) was it. Drawn from an event in the life of Patricia MacLachlan's daughter, The Sick Day is the homey tale of a father who works at home, but has to put aside his projects temporarily when his daughter Emily takes sick. Emily's father is patient with her demands on his attention, though even his mild temper occasionally frays as the day wears long on them both. But caring for a sick child is part of a father's job, and by the end of the day Emily hardly minds feeling so crummy. Sometimes a sick day with dad is just what the doctor ordered.
Emily wakes on the morning of our story feeling feverish and achy. A " stomach ache in my head" and "headache in my throat" are the symptoms she describes. She has tight hold of her favorite blanket, named Frederick, but can't find Moosie, her stuffed animal. Her father has his own trouble locating the thermometer. Emily's father tries to keep her happy and smiling through bouts of nausea, but a little too much humor can backfire when the target is an ailing child. Being sick is unpleasant, but Emily's discomfort is mitigated by her father's easygoing charm, and his willing presence by her side all day—even when crankiness threatens to dominate her disposition—makes her feel better. In Emily's words, "It's fun being sick...With you." The company of a loved one can be all that's necessary to turn a lousy day into a swell one.
Jane Dyer's illustrations in the 2001 edition of The Sick Day might be better-known, but the originals were done by 1948 Newbery Medalist William Pène du Bois. His drawings for The Sick Day have an old-fashioned vibe, almost like traditional Russian folk art, but I think I prefer Jane Dyer's work for this book. The legendary Patricia MacLachlan could hardly have had a nicer debut in children's literature, and I encourage her fans to search up a copy of this book and read it. I give The Sick Day two and a half stars, and I'm glad I took the time to check out the roots of the author's Newbery Medal-winning career. There will never be another like Patricia MacLachlan, and I appreciate her always.
Emily wakes on the morning of our story feeling feverish and achy. A " stomach ache in my head" and "headache in my throat" are the symptoms she describes. She has tight hold of her favorite blanket, named Frederick, but can't find Moosie, her stuffed animal. Her father has his own trouble locating the thermometer. Emily's father tries to keep her happy and smiling through bouts of nausea, but a little too much humor can backfire when the target is an ailing child. Being sick is unpleasant, but Emily's discomfort is mitigated by her father's easygoing charm, and his willing presence by her side all day—even when crankiness threatens to dominate her disposition—makes her feel better. In Emily's words, "It's fun being sick...With you." The company of a loved one can be all that's necessary to turn a lousy day into a swell one.
Jane Dyer's illustrations in the 2001 edition of The Sick Day might be better-known, but the originals were done by 1948 Newbery Medalist William Pène du Bois. His drawings for The Sick Day have an old-fashioned vibe, almost like traditional Russian folk art, but I think I prefer Jane Dyer's work for this book. The legendary Patricia MacLachlan could hardly have had a nicer debut in children's literature, and I encourage her fans to search up a copy of this book and read it. I give The Sick Day two and a half stars, and I'm glad I took the time to check out the roots of the author's Newbery Medal-winning career. There will never be another like Patricia MacLachlan, and I appreciate her always.
July 1, 2020
Patricia MacLachlan has made such a deep imprint on the history of children's literature that it feels as if her stories have existed forever. But some book had to be her first, and The Sick Day (1979) was it. Drawn from an event in the life of Patricia MacLachlan's daughter, The Sick Day is the homey tale of a father who works as a writer but has to put aside his projects temporarily when his daughter Emily takes sick. Emily's father is patient with her demands on his attention, though even his mild temper frays now and then as the day wears long on them both. But caring for a sick child is part of a father's job, and by the end of the day Emily hardly minds feeling so crummy. Sometimes a sick day with dad is just what the doctor ordered.
Emily wakes on the morning of our story feeling feverish and achy. A "stomach ache in my head" and "headache in my throat" are the symptoms she describes. She has tight hold of her favorite blanket, named Frederick, but can't find Moosie, her stuffed animal. Her father has his own trouble locating the thermometer. Emily's father tries to keep her happy and smiling through bouts of nausea, but a little too much humor can backfire when the target is an ailing child. Being sick is unpleasant, but Emily's discomfort is mitigated by her father's easygoing charm, and his willing presence by her side all day—even when crankiness threatens to dominate her disposition—makes her feel better. In Emily's words, "It's fun being sick...With you." The company of a loved one can be all that's necessary to turn a lousy day into a swell one.
Jane Dyer's illustrations in the edition of The Sick Day I read are nice, though they aren't the originals. Those were done by 1948 Newbery Medalist William Pène du Bois, whose drawings for the story almost remind me of traditional Russian folk art. I think I prefer Jane Dyer's work for The Sick Day, however. The legendary Patricia MacLachlan could hardly have had a nicer debut in children's literature, and I encourage her fans to search up a copy of this book and read it. I give The Sick Day two and a half stars, and I'm glad I took the time to check out the roots of the author's Newbery Medal-winning career. There will never be another like Patricia MacLachlan, and I appreciate her always.
Emily wakes on the morning of our story feeling feverish and achy. A "stomach ache in my head" and "headache in my throat" are the symptoms she describes. She has tight hold of her favorite blanket, named Frederick, but can't find Moosie, her stuffed animal. Her father has his own trouble locating the thermometer. Emily's father tries to keep her happy and smiling through bouts of nausea, but a little too much humor can backfire when the target is an ailing child. Being sick is unpleasant, but Emily's discomfort is mitigated by her father's easygoing charm, and his willing presence by her side all day—even when crankiness threatens to dominate her disposition—makes her feel better. In Emily's words, "It's fun being sick...With you." The company of a loved one can be all that's necessary to turn a lousy day into a swell one.
Jane Dyer's illustrations in the edition of The Sick Day I read are nice, though they aren't the originals. Those were done by 1948 Newbery Medalist William Pène du Bois, whose drawings for the story almost remind me of traditional Russian folk art. I think I prefer Jane Dyer's work for The Sick Day, however. The legendary Patricia MacLachlan could hardly have had a nicer debut in children's literature, and I encourage her fans to search up a copy of this book and read it. I give The Sick Day two and a half stars, and I'm glad I took the time to check out the roots of the author's Newbery Medal-winning career. There will never be another like Patricia MacLachlan, and I appreciate her always.
April 21, 2011
A nice story about a father taking care of his sick daughter, who has a stomachache in her head and a headache in her throat. (Mama is off at work, even though it's 1979.) "My toe hurts where I stubbed it last year," Emily says. "It hurts on and off. The ons are long." William Pene du Bois's illustrations don't disappoint. (The father resembles Professor William Waterman Sherman from The Twenty-One Balloons.)
July 30, 2017
Written before Sarah Plain and Tall, this already shows off MacLachlan's talents. And the edition I read, with art by William Pene du Bois, is marvelous. However, I can easily imagine the felt need for a new illustrator for the reissue - after all, the very loving Dad in du Bois' art smokes a pipe. :sigh:
While I want more of du Bois' work to remain available, I like the looks of the new edition and may just have to read that, too.
While I want more of du Bois' work to remain available, I like the looks of the new edition and may just have to read that, too.
January 7, 2012
Emily doesn't feel good, she has a "bug". Her dad spends the day trying to help her feel better. Many parents can relate to what happens next--Emily's dad catches the bug and Emily spends the following day trying to help him fell better.
The perfect book to read when the kiddos are home sick.
The perfect book to read when the kiddos are home sick.
September 30, 2013
This is pushing 4 1/2 stars but I am holding back! This book is absolutely adorable. It reminds of my dad and what he would do it I were sick when I was little! " I have a stomachache in my head" "And a headache in my throat!"
The illustrations are cute! Nice one!
The illustrations are cute! Nice one!
September 1, 2016
Another cute book by MacLachlan. And an excellent book to read to sick young ones. And it's a nice change of pace that it's Daddy's turn to stay home with the sick girl, instead of mom's (perpetual, it seems, in many books) turn.
September 3, 2016
When Emily is sick, Dad stays back to help her and turns out to be a fun day. And then, when Dad falls sick, Emily is ready to help and find her Moosie and thermometer!
March 20, 2017
Tess would give it 4 stars.
September 26, 2012
-I thought this was a very cute story, don't know how much children would get into it.
-Story about a young girl who is sick and all her demands on her sick day.
-She has a very caring father throughout, who then gets sick at the end of the book.
-2nd Grade reading level
-Story about a young girl who is sick and all her demands on her sick day.
-She has a very caring father throughout, who then gets sick at the end of the book.
-2nd Grade reading level
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews