Colin McNaughton

Roger isn't jolly, he's miserable. While he drowns in melancholia, his mother suffers from clinical depression following the sudden disappearance of Roger's father, who she believes has absconded on account of her dour demeanour. On the assumption that no other life could be worse than the one he leads, Roger joins the crew of a pirate ship. Surprisingly for him, life at sea with a band of brutalised and badly educated brigands does not elevate his mood in any respect.

After all that show more scene-setting mental illness, there's a plot twist of some tunnel-lighting potential, when Roger deduces that the ship's cook is in fact his very own father, but as Roger's kidnapped paterfamilias is suffering from some form of post-traumatic amnesia, Roger probably wishes he was related to the ship's doctor instead. show less

An ordinary young boy embarks on an ordinary day in this seemingly ordinary picture-book, in which everything - brushing his teeth, getting dressed, having his breakfast, kissing his mother goodbye, and heading for school - happens in the expected order, and expected fashion. Until, that is, a most unusual new teacher arrives in the boy's classroom, complete with musical accoutrement and an unconventional assignment for the boy and his fellow students. Is the new teacher bonkers? Or is show more something extraordinary about to occur...?

Readers of Once Upon an Ordinary School Day will likely know the answer to that question long before the conclusion of the story, but watching the boy discover the joy, the magic even, of storytelling - watching his imagination soar - is still a rewarding experience. Satoshi Kitamura's artwork, which moves from dull black-and-white scenes to vibrantly colorful vistas, once the boy's new teacher enters the story, perfectly captures the joy of the boy's journey to a greater understanding of the possibilities of writing, and other creative pursuits. All in all, this was an engaging picture-book, with a satisfying story-line, and appealing illustrations (I think I liked the wordless pages the best!), one I would recommend to young readers who sometimes feel that reading and writing are a little dull. show less

This is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for [b:101 Amazing Facts about Australia|21332402|101 Amazing Facts about Australia (Countries of the World)|Jack Goldstein|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1394253825l/21332402._SY75_.jpg|25417728] You can see all the books on their own shelf.

Good news, everyone! GoodReads managed to correct one of the lists! I am truly delighted to be back on the Reviewers list among so show more many people who provide such a useful and entertaining range of reviews from serious literary criticism to casual one liners to whimsical projects.

Now, about fixing the Readers list....

I loved this book. The notes I jotted down as I read this comprise rather more words than the book itself. The short version is the Kitamura's art brings vibrancy and color and delight that reflects and underlines the point of the text. Plus Kitamura puts a cat in each painting. The first two-page spread is so bland and so ordinary, showing the student's morning routine: in the background behind him in the hall you can see his bedroom, where he's still in bed, and the bathroom, where he's brushing his teeth, and peeing, and taking a bath, and the dining room where he's eating breakfast and the kitchen where he's kissing his mother goodbye. It's as if you're seeing every moment of every ordinary day at once, because it's always the same.

And then a new teacher brings magic into their lives and everything is different.

Library copy show less

A large, toothy, mean-looking wolf zealously stalks Preston the pig. But each time the wolf gets close, Preston suddenly changes course and unknowingly eludes his pursuer. Colin McNaughton’s humorous illustrations enhance the element of surprise each time Preston “outsmarts” the wolf. This is a delightful and fun laugh-out-loud book.