A Perfect Day

by Remy Charlip

What could possibly be better than spending a day together? Absolutely nothing. Turn the pages. Here is a perfect day.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction, Family

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Abraham 'Remy' Charlip (born January 10, 1929) was an American artist, writer, choreographer, theatre director, designer, and teacher.

He studied art at Straubenmuller Textile High School in Manhattan and fine arts at Cooper Union in New York, graduating in 1949.

In the 1960s, Charlip created a unique form of choreography, which he called "air mail dances". He sent a set of drawings to a dance company, and the dancers ordered the positions and created transitions and context.

He performed with John Cage, was a founding member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company for which he also designed sets and costumes, directed plays for the Judson Poet's Theater, co-founded the Paper Bag Players, and served as head of the Children's Theater and Literature Department at Sarah Lawrence College.

He won two Village Voice Obie Awards, three New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year citations, and was awarded a six-month residency in Kyoto from the Japan/U.S. Commission on the Arts. He wrote and/or illustrated more than 30 children's books and passed away in San Francisco, California, on August 14, 2012.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll tell you why this one is special to me: I have no idea of the genders of the parent and child. The illustrations use a soft androgyny for both main characters, and I loved being free to imagine any genders I wished. And their skin tones are a light caramel, with tan curly hair, which rooms for a number of racial interpretations as well. The story is way basic, just eating and dreaming and reading and cuddling, with easy words and short, rhyming sentences. The pronouns are all just "I", "you", "we", etc., so you can imagine it is just you and your child as you read. There is a freedom and gentleness to everything in this book that I just love.

[Heather Dunbar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the artwork in this book, it was almost dream-like. Actually, the whole book seemed to me what a child would dream. It’s very simple, light and happy. I like books like that. Perfect for young children.

[Brandon Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Kelly Holmes · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quiet story about a dad and son and how they spend a day together. A little TOO quiet for my taste--I like more plot in a picture book--but the text was nice and short, and the illustrations are fine. Not my favorite as far as illustrations go, but they're nice enough.

[Ruth Ann]

A book about the simple pleasures of spending time together. Minimal text with the pictures really helping to tell the story.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Simple. Simply beautiful.

This book makes me wish my kids were little again and we could go through one random day of their childhood, just like in the book: breakfast, a walk, friends over for lunch, painting, a nap, imagining...

[Aneesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow.

[Marianne Tabner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and yet very simple story fully illustrated about a boy and his dad and what they felt a perfect day would look like. It's dreamy...

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunrise to sunset, a day with a parent and child together.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple story depicting a perfect day between a parent and their child.

[Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the illustrator for a book I had to read for work, The Dead Bird, by Margaret Wise Brown. He passed away in August, but this book was so wonderful and really summed up my own idea of "A Perfect Day" including eating, time with friends and family, napping, reading, thinking. What a blessed life.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

the drawings are a little awkward, but I like the rhyming and the father/son relationship. The bold uppercase font would be easy for readers trying to read. ends with the child going to bed, good bed time book? helpful for talking about schedule and fun things?

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why, but I just didn't think this one was that special. It might be because the text was all in caps. Not a perfect thrill...

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

easy story with limited text. Ella seemed to enjoy it. good book for children who don't spend much time with the fathers

[Danielle]

Quiet, rhyming, sweet father/child life in the day of book.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice book about what might fill a young one's perfect day spent with a parent. Okay for preschool or toddler storytimes.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would a perfect day look like? Waking up to a loving parent, a picnic with friends, time to do artwork? A quiet simple story.

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love, love, love this simple little book that depicts a perfect day. It would be good for toddler story time also, but makes a great lap read with your littles.