A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Philip C. Stead (2010), 32 pages

Illustrated by Erin E. Stead

Audience: pre-K

Format: picture book

Zookeeper, Amos McGee’s daily routine starts out early with a breakfast of oatmeal and tea followed by a prompt bus ride to work. He heads out everyday like clockwork to his job at the city zoo making special effort to visit his friends, the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl. His usual habits include playing chess with the elephant “who thought and thought before making a move,” running races with the tortoise “who never ever lost,” and sitting quietly with the penguin “who was very shy.” Amos is dependable and a faithful friend; the animals look forward to his daily visits. But one day, Amos wakes up feeling ill and misses his day at the zoo. The animals begin to worry … “where is Amos?” Later that day, the eclectic troupe decide to visit their sick friend and arrive ready to cheer him up. Beautifully written and illustrated, the Steads were awarded the coveted Caldecott medal in 2010 for A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Philip’s sweet storyline is truly enhanced by Erin’s illustrations. Mixing soft pastel colors, muted tones with finely drawn pencil and woodblock prints—her pictures are delicate and quiet further emphasizing Mr. McGee’s gentle nature and fragility. The illustrations perfectly capture each animal’s emotive quality and quirky personality. For instance, the thoughtful elephant looks rather pensive and contemplative while playing chess and the shy penguin has a bashful-adorableness as he sits quietly alongside Mr. McGee. Stories of friendship and love are classic themes children gravitate to – this book has both!

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this book, you may like: Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathman, If I Ran the Zoo (Caldecott honor) by Dr. Seuss, I Know a Rhino by Charles Fuge, or My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall

Other books by this author: Jonathan and the Big Blue Boat