An Ordinary Day

by Elana K. Arnold, Elizabet Vukovic (Illustrator)

An ordinary day in an ordinary neighborhood turns out to be quite extraordinary in this moving story about the circle of life.It’s an average day in the neighborhood—children play, roses are watered, and a crow watches over it all. But then two visitors arrive at two houses, one to help a family say hello to a new baby and one to help a family say goodbye to a beloved pet. This sensitive picture book takes a gentle look at life, death, the bonds of family, and the extraordinary moments that make ordinary days so special.

Genres: Picture Books, Death, Grief, Family, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Animals

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2020

About the author

ELANA K. ARNOLD writes books for and about children and teens. She holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing/Fiction from the University of California, Davis where she has taught Creative Writing and Adolescent Literature. Her most recent YA novel, DAMSEL, is a Printz Honor book, Her 2017 novel, WHAT GIRLS ARE MADE OF, was a finalist for the National Book Award, and her middle grade novel, A BOY CALLED BAT, is a Junior Library Guild Selection. A parent and educator living in Huntington Beach, California, Elana is a frequent speaker at schools, libraries, and writers’ conferences. Currently, Elana is the caretaker of seven pets, only three of which have fur. Sign up for her newsletter here: https://elanakarnold.us10.list-manage...

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a different sort of premise. On an ordinary day on a quiet street, two visitors arrive at two different houses. One is a vet, there to euthanize a dog. The other is a midwife, there to help a woman give birth.

The interest comes from the idea of seeing the parallels of what is going on behind closed doors. While one family is saying goodbye, another is saying hello. The sparse colour palette and simple illustrations let the story and its themes shine through.

I'm not a fan of the euphemism used when the dog was put down (the syringe is not filled with "medicine"). Other than that, though, this is a unique look at an ordinary day and the extraordinary things that might happen within one.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exquisitely illustrated picture book with a simple but profound poetic text about an extraordinary ordinary day of loss and new beginnings.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Ordinary Day takes place on an ordinary street in an ordinary neighborhood.

In one house it was a time of saying goodbye to an old friend.

In the house next door it was a time of saying hello to a new companion.

"It was an ordinary day in the neighborhood.
It was an extraordinary day in the neighborhood.
Like all days,
and all neighborhoods,
everywhere."

Simple, yet achingly beautiful story.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every. Single. Feel.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh gosh - this extraordinary book about an ordinary day puts into words and pictures perfectly the way I felt on the days my daughters were born (how did the world keep going on as "normal" knowing a new human being had come into the world?!) and on the days when I lost loved ones (how did the world keep going on as "normal" knowing a beloved friend/family member just left the world?!). Children will absolutely relate to this book and will need to talk about it.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Extraordinary things happen on ordinary days in ordinary neighborhoods everywhere..."

In 2 houses on the same street, a doctor arrives and goes inside. One family is saying goodbye to their beloved dog, "surrounded by family and love." The other is welcoming a new baby, "surrounded by family and love."

[Tranylle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to try really hard not to cry during this book. Two different doctors go to two house next door to each other. One for the death of a beloved pet; one for the birth of a child. It was very touching and well done, showing that extraordinary things can happen on ordinary days.

[Syntha Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, I teared up reading this

[Julie]

Simply beautiful.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! This gorgeously illustrated book gave me shivers. On an ordinary day in a neighbourhood, two extraordinary events are taking place in two side by side houses. In the one, a family is saying goodbye to their beloved dog. In the other, a new baby is being welcomed.
This is one of the most power and poignant books about the cycle of life I’ve ever read!

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisite.

Gentle and sweet, with a dreamy watercolor palette, this is a beautiful story of endings and beginnings and the extraordinary in the everyday.

Incredible.

[Michelle B · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Ordinary Day by Elana K Arnold is the LGBTQ+ book I read and reviewed for grades preK - 5. I found this on the Cooperative Children’s Book Center under the picture book section. This beautiful picture book follows two families living next door to each other on one “ordinary” day. From the outside of the homes, it seems like a normal day, but on the inside each family is experiencing a beautiful moment. The family with two mothers is experiencing the loss of a pet, while a Black family is experiencing the birth of a baby in their family. This book focuses on beautiful moments within families. This book sends the message that we never truly know what is going on behind closed doors and what challenges or celebrations each unique family is facing. The LQTBQ+ component of this book is subtle, but shows that families can look different (two moms with children) but go through the same life events that a more “traditional” family may go through. I read an article in this course titled “Best Not Forget Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Themed Children’s Literature: A Teacher’s Reflections of a More Inclusive Multicultural Education and Literature Program”. This article explains on page 2 that “When implementing LGBT-themed literature and culture in classrooms, the content should not be taught superficially but instead focus on the civil rights struggle, love, acceptance, family, and forms of oppression”. This book is a perfect example of the love within LGBTQ+ families. In the classroom, this book should not be taught in isolation, but instead could be used in a social studies unit about family structure or at the beginning of the year when students are learning about each other’s families.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 2 out of 5]

An Ordinary Day by Elana K. Arnold, illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic. PICTURE BOOK. Beach Lane (Simon), 2020. $18. 9781481472623

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

On one ordinary suburban day, two doctors pull up to neighboring houses and one new human life into the world and one beloved family dog out of it.

Arnold brings gentle life to the small moments for the world which are large moments for those involved. The color palette is muted, which suits the story, but the muted tone of color and story mean that the audience and repeat reading are low.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Roben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew nothing about this book when I picked it up - and I will admit I was surprised to see the doctor pull out a syringe and euthanize the dog. I understand that those are things that do happen in neighborhoods every day - but for me, the book started out on a very light note that quickly became much more serious. I liked the balance of welcoming new life while saying goodbye to another but this one will be moved to our collection that deals with grief.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bittersweet and pensive book about the tremendous life events we can experience "on just an ordinary day." On the same street in the same neighborhood, an old dog passes away and a new baby is born. Although the setting is modern, it has a classic feel, especially with doctors and veterinarians who make house calls--something that may be unfamiliar to today's kids. I could see this as being helpful for kids who have just experienced a major event in their family.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tender story about death and life on a typical neighborhood street. Arnold shares life on a street - kids play, someone waters their yard, a bird chirps, etc. Then two doctors arrive and enter side by side houses. Now readers see how much life is happening in these two locations. One family is saying goodbye to a loved family dog; the other is welcoming a new baby.
Powerful message to be aware of what's happening around us.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and gentle demonstration of the circle of life, of beginnings and endings, and how normal - how ordinary, yet extraordinary, each experience is.

In one house, a much loved dog is farewelled; next door, a new baby is welcomed.
Meanwhile, life continues outside.

[Stacy Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quiet, gorgeously illustrated picture book about loss and new beginnings. Prepare to cry.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous and poetic meditation on life and death.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author compares the end of life to an animal and the birth of a baby. Both are losses but to put them on the same level is wrong. Animals are not people.

[Kaylea Prime · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations and I appreciated the concept once I understood it, but it's VERY misleading for what the content is, and I was very unprepared when reading this book with my kids. The jacket flap with the description of the book mentions nothing about grief, it literally just says "Extraordinary things happen on ordinary days in ordinary neighborhoods everywhere...". That sounds more like some magical adventure is about to happen not that a family would have to put their dog down. By the time I realized what was happening it was too late - my kids had already seen the illustrations of a dog exactly like theirs dying, and they started crying. I don't even know how I feel about it as a book about grief to help kids deal with those emotions, since it doesn't help them deal with them at all. The message basically seems to be that bad things will happen in life but good things too so it will balance out - except the good thing didn't happen to the grieving family, it happened to a different family, so the sentiment fell a little short. And maybe it's trying to say that life and death both have beauty in it in a way because they can both be surrounded by family and love. But this feels like one of those books that is written more for adults and is trying to be deep and profound instead of written with kids in mind. If I wasn't there to have the conversation with my kids and they read this book on their own, they would have been traumatized and also would not have understood the message, all they would have seen was the grief. So I do feel like there should be some sort of mention of grief in the jacket description to warn people just picking it up off a shelf in a store or library. I appreciate the concept of the story though, and the attempt at life and death symmetry and finding beauty in a delicate and inevitable part of life, so I still gave it 3 stars.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an ordinary day in an ordinary neighborhood, but two of the houses across the street were unusually quiet. A car pulled up to each of the houses. A doctor got out of each of the cars and each entered a different house. Outside, life in the neighborhood continued to be ordinary. Inside though, it was different. In the house on the left, a golden retriever was on a bed surrounded by her family. Soft music played. In the house on the right, a woman rested on a bed with her family around her and soft music playing. Both doctors say “She is ready” and start to help. One family says goodbye to a beloved pet while another greets a new member of their family. All part of an ordinary and extraordinary day.

This is a gentle and quiet book that looks deeply at both tragic and joyous moments in our regular everyday lives. The pairing of the two together is what makes this book truly sing. The two stories dance together, moving in concert with one another until they diverge in major and minor keys. Arnold’s writing is steady and strong, offering a foundation for these large emotions to build upon. Yet she also soars as appropriate with the moment.

Vukovic’s illustrations are light and airy, almost ready to float off the page. Done in charcoal, pastel, watercolor, ink and digitally, the art is filled with soft colors that mist and cloud across the page. The diverse neighborhood shines here, on an ordinary day.

Beautifully illustrated and written, this quiet book about death and life is a gem. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN ORDINARY DAY is written by Elena K. Arnold and illustrated by Elizabet Vukovic. While we all yearn for an ordinary day during these Covid times, the truth is that we have always been surrounded by ORDINARY DAYS, but rarely do we take notice.

As this seemingly simple picture book suggests, a garden-tending neighbor, a nosy crow, and playful companions on an ordinary street are unconscious witnesses to nearby passages in ordinary lives. Two nearby homes on this quiet street are each visited by medical professionals. From that spread onward, the two interior settings parallel and contrast each other, with one family experiencing a sad goodbye to their beloved pet, while the other family welcomes a new baby to their home.

Lyrical minimalist language and softly realistic images of a stable, diverse neighborhood enhance the simplicity of and deep loving truths about our ordinary lives on AN ORDINARY DAY.

As our yearning for "the past times" draws our attention, perhaps our focus should really be on the people living in homes nearby, playing in yards, and, at times, exhaling last breaths and inhaling first breaths.

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrations, the story on the other hand has two pieces to it that made me think twice about my enjoyment. Spoiler: there is a death of a beloved pet. But there is also a birth of a beloved child. The story is pretty simple (two doctors go into two houses, while the street does its thing: the crow crows, the children play, and so forth). There is no action, which is the point. The fact there was no action was the first, "Huh. Do I like this?" and the fact there is the mature subject of life and death unfolding out next door to each other was a bit intense. Is this for a child? Can you read this to a child? I don't know if it's okay for some adults. This beautiful story has a lot of personal, emotional buttons it will touch on. It is not something to blindly give to someone, but it is something most people probably need to read. A favorite part of the story is how natural everything is. We see diversity in the characters, while things are sad (the death) there is hope and neither is "preachy" or over the top. There is a spiritual element to it, but it is not religious. It's just a book everyone will take from it what they put into it.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and quiet book. I know Elana K. Arnold best for her (can I say edgy?) YA novels and I have always been impressed by how she is able to speak VOLUMES with a few carefully selected words.

Why, then, was I surprised that her incredible talent would transfer so perfectly to this little picture book. On a street like any other (though it feels a little extra-special) a family says goodbye to a beloved family pet on the same day their next door neighbors say hello to a new arrival. It's the circle of life without the cliche, as the two families' significant events pass by side-by-side.

"A moment passed, a moment in which the visitors, the families, the street, and the world shifted.
It was an ordinary day in the neighborhood.
It was an extraordinary day in the neighborhood.
Like all days, and all neighborhoods, everywhere"

This poetry is enhanced, beautifully, by ethereal illustrations done in pastel, charcoal, and watercolor in a glowy orange and purple palette. Truly impressive.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really lovely, the illustrations are lovely the concept is lovely, this is 100% a book that I would recommend for families dealing with loss of a pet (which is a question I get all the time.) I love this so much.
My one big thing: I REALLY wish that somewhere on the outside of this book there was some description of what the content is. A lot of books get picked up and read blind and this was our experience with this one...we grabbed it from the library and read it for bedtime...and I'm not saying that kids can't or shouldn't grab and independently read any book on any topic they like but as a parent in that situation I REALLY wish I had known going into that reading that we were going to be dealing with saying goodbye to a pet. I probably would have picked my moment for reading it differently and handled it differently. But if all you have is the physical book, if you've not read anything about it elsewhere, you go into it completely blind and being blindsided isn't fun.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does need a trigger warning but not for maybe two illustrations showing two moms I almost missed. The book deals with the life cycle. On this one day on an ordinary street, one life is leaving and one is arriving. A veterinarian comes to one house to help the family put their dog to sleep. Warning in case you're reading this and that's a trigger for you or children. It is for me and 10 YO nephew.

In another house, a human doctor or male midwife arrives to deliver a baby. The mother's belly is shown exposed but nothing else.

It's very sweet, sensitive and sparse. It shows how life and death are ordinary events that occur every day. The illustrations show the story of ordinary life on an ordinary street and zoom in on two families. One family grieving, the other celebrating. The pictures are done in black, white, pale blue, orange and that's it. They're simple but sweet and effective.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slim but powerful book beautifully explores how the most extraordinary of events are happening all around us -- life and death, both unfolding -- on every ordinary day. I cried when I read the synopsis for this book, so it came as no surprise that I cried when I read the entire text, but OH HOW I CRIED. The story/text from Arnold is gorgeous in its simplicity, its message, and its construction (parallelism, the watching crow), and Vukovic's illustrations are captivating and soft and subdued just like this story needs. The seamless inclusion of diverse characters and families was also noteworthy. I don't know when I'll be able to work up to reading it to my four-year-old without bawling, but I'm looking forward to spending a quiet moment together doing just that.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

"An ordinary day in an ordinary neighborhood turns out to be quite extraordinary in this story about the circle of life."

It’s an average day in an average neighborhood — children examine bugs on the sidewalk,
and the lady next door waters the flowers on her porch. Two cars pull up across the street and people emerge to enter two houses that sit side by side - one a veterinarian going into a home to euthanize an old, well loved dog, and one a midwife who will assist at the birth of a baby. In both houses, family members gather round to witness an event that causes a shift in their world.

It makes me wonder what extraordinary things are occurring today behind the closed doors of the houses in my neighborhood.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really conflicted about this book. I picked it up from the library not knowing what it was about and from the start of the book - with details like "Mrs. LaFleur overwatering her roses" and "the Crow, letting everyone know that she saw what they were doing and that she did not approve" - I thought it would present an adventure (like in Robinson's _Another_) or a story about Kia and Joseph meeting new neighbors. Instead, it abruptly turned into a meditation on birth and death and the ordinariness and commonness of this. I love the illustrations and exploring the loss of a pet or birth of a baby absolutely belong in the genre, but something was just off for me... I will keep reading. A 2021 Caldecott Contender.