The title A New Day sounds like a metaphor, and it is--partially. Brad Meltzer (Heroes for My Son) and Dan Santat (The Adventures of Beekle) also have a literal meaning in mind: their cheeky, chortle-worthy picture book is about an abdication crisis of calendrical proportions.
Sunday is exhausted: "Do you know how much work it takes to give the world a beautiful, free day...?" She quits her job, leaving the other six days of the week no choice but to hold auditions for--that's right--a new day. Among the qualities sought in Sunday's replacement: "Must be relaxing, tranquil, chill (though not as chill as Saturday)." Responding to the cattle call, a swarm of humans and animals suggest days like FunDay, RunDay, BunDay, DogDay and, of course, Caturday, but none of these wow the judges. Finally, a kid proposes "a day when people can show more kindness to each other." When Sunday hears this, she returns to her job, convinced that "with a little more kindness in it, every day can be a NEW DAY."
The book's exultant message follows a continuous parade of rhymes, puns and wisecracks, conveyed largely by dialogue balloons; a confetti-colored palette amplifies the funhouse atmosphere. Santat gives each day of the week its own color and personality, calling to mind an animated starter Crayola set. He does bang-up work keeping up with Meltzer's three-ring circus of characters, perhaps most memorably the folks proposing, and dressed for, GelatinSuitsDay ("Watch the way my ears wiggle!"). --Nell Beram, freelance writer and YA author