A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Bibliography:

Stead, Philip C. 2010. A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Ill. Erin E. Stead. Roaring Book Press: New York.

ISBN: 978-1-59643-402-8

Summary:

Amos McGee, a punctual zookeeper always makes time for his friends the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros and owl every day.  One day Amos wakes up with a cold and can't come to work so his friends decide to visit his home to take care of him for a change.

Analysis:

Author Philip Stead's story about a mild-natured man and his animal friends is an endearing tale of friendship and dedication.  Philip presents Amos as a man with a routine who gets up at the same time everyday and prides himself on punctuality, "6 a.m. Right on time," he'd say.  Philip also depicts Amos as a conscientious friend any reader would like to have, one who spends time with his friends every day and does activities with them for their own enjoyment.  The text is repetitive when describing their activities as each one is qualified by its relationship to each of Amos's friends.  For example, Amos and the tortoise run races, but the tortoise is the one "who never ever lost" and Amos sits quietly with the penguin "who was very shy".  The juxtaposition of language creates an appealing and easy-to-read rhythm.  It is repeated during the second half of the story where the friends switch roles with Amos and take care of his needs.  The elephant and tortoise entertain him while the penguin and rhinoceros take care of his physical needs.  The mirror between the first and second half of the story create an easy-to-follow plot line that supports the author's message of friendship and love.

Paired with Amos's sweet story and arguably what makes the story exceptional are the unique illustrations of Erin Stead.  Erin, wife of the author Philip, debuts her pencil and woodblock printing illustrations in A Sick Day for Amos McGee.  The illustrations complement the simple text and add another dimension to the entire story.  Erin uses splashes of color mixed in to the gray scale pencil drawings, creating an eye-entertaining look into Amos's life.  The texture creates realism within the pictures and text where the boundaries of realism are stretched and broken.  The animals look so life-like as they ride the city bus to Amos's house.  Although the animals don't speak, Erin's illustrations make them come alive on the page, like how penguin places a comforting wing on Amos's leg as he lays sick in bed, or how elephant places the chess pieces in a row while they wait for Amos to arrive (you can almost feel their boredom).

Another element of the illustrations that make the book outstanding are the extra characters that pop up in the pictures.  Amos has a mouse that lives with him and follows him around, as well as a little bird.  The reader finds them "cheering" during Amos's race with the tortoise, listening to owl's story and all throughout the story.  They become part of the family even though they are not a part of the text.  Erin's attention to detail creates an interactive experience with the story, leaving the reader with a feeling of belonging to Amos's family and an urge to get a red balloon.

Reviews:

2011 Caldecott Medal

“Endearing, expressive characterization in spare illustrations rendered in muted tones distinguish this timeless picture book.  It’s a great day for Amos McGee!” said Caldecott Medal Committee Chair Judy Zuckerman. - from ALA website

"This gentle, ultimately warm story acknowledges the care and reciprocity behind all good friendships: Much like Amos’s watch, they must be wound regularly to remain true." - Kirkus Reviews

Connections:

• Discuss the illustrations and research woodblock printing techniques;  How do the illustrations effect your view of the story?  What would the story be like with different illustrations or no illustrations at all?

• Talk about friendship and what it means to be a friend; have students tell about times when their friends did something nice for them or when they did something nice for their friends