ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
PICTURE BOOKS
Detlefsen, Lisl H.

At the End of the Day

40 pp. | Knopf | April, 2024 | Trade ISBN 9780593378632 $19.99 | Library ISBN 9780593378649 $22.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780593378656 $10.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao. For many children, the afterschool hours are anything but relaxing, "because now there is homework. Or a piano lesson. Or dance class." Detlefsen and Bontigao effectively portray this frenetic time between school dismissal and bedtime in an enjoyable picture book featuring a biracial family. The dad, who may be a stay-at-home parent, oversees the three young children's activities. Mom is in the military and joins her family via a video call in the evening, during which the kids experience the "pang of missing someone who feels too far away." While the children may be "exhausted...or in a mood" at day's end, there are also moments of lightheartedness. Dad and the kids enjoy taking a walk at twilight, telling knock-knock jokes, and eating bread fresh from the oven. Mom's return home makes the family complete but doesn't put an end to the chaos. Bontigao's expressive digitally rendered illustrations capture the havoc surrounding the family (e.g., the dog eats a child's homework, a vase is knocked off a table and shatters), while the text's soothing rhythm makes for a fine bedtime story.
Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

RELATED 

PICTURE BOOKS

Born Ready
by Patterson, Jodie
PICTURE BOOKS

The House of Grass and Sky
by Ray, Mary Lyn
PICTURE BOOKS

The Dog's Gardener
by Storms, Patricia
PICTURE BOOKS

And I Paint It
by Kephart, Beth
PICTURE BOOKS

Poem in My Pocket
by Tougas, Chris
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?