Best Day Ever!

by Marilyn Singer, Leah Nixon (Illustrator)

A sweet dog-loves-kid/kid-loves-dog story, in which the kid uses a wheelchair, from an award-winning children’s poet and talented debut illustrator.

This playful puppy thinks she’s having the best day ever! She's so happy to be out with her friend, she doesn't even realize that she's being a little naughty. But then he scolds her, and suddenly—Worst. Day. Ever. Will puppy be able to make amends and turn their day back around?

Join an exuberant, boundary-pushing pup and her exasperated boy in this reassuring story about unconditional love and the challenges of trying to always be on your best behavior.

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Animals, Disability, Storytime, Childrens, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 29, 2021

About the author

Marilyn Singer was born in the Bronx (New York City) on October 3, 1948 and lived most of her early life in N. Massapequa (Long Island), NY. She attended Queens College, City University of New York, and for her junior year, Reading University, England. She holds a B.A. in English from Queens and an M.A. in Communications from New York University.

In 1974, after teaching English in New York City high schools for several years, she began to write - initially film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides and film strips. Then, one day, when she was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, she penned a story featuring talking insect characters she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, she wrote more stories and in 1976 her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published by E.P.Dutton & Co.

Since then, Marilyn has published over seventy books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry. She likes writing many different kinds of books because it's challenging and it keeps her from getting bored. She has won several Children's Choice and Parents' Choice Awards, as well as the following: the Creature Carnival, Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book, 2005; I Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes with Religion, New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age," 2001; Stay True: Short Stories for Strong Girls, Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2000 (YALSA); On the Same Day in March, Booklist's Top Ten Science Books of 2000; NCSS-CBC Notable Book, 2000; Deal with a Ghost, finalist, YA category, Edgar Award, 1998; It Can't Hurt Forever, Maud Hart Lovelace Award, 1983; The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 1983; Turtle in July, NCTE Notable, N.Y.Times Best Illustrated and Time Magazine Best Children's Books of 1989; Turtle in July was also a Reading Rainbow review book.

Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, a cousin of their beloved and recently departed poodle Easy, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling named Darling. Her interests include dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, meditation, playing computer adventure games and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best Day Ever! is a dog’s eye view of the ups and downs of a day. From mud to bubbles!

I loved the BEST DAY EVER! energy here. The puppy’s bouncy exuberance is felt in every illustration. Those eyes! Haha…Every lick, wag, and look made me smile. The pages are fun and colorful and a joy to read.

My favorite part of the book though is the fact that the boy’s wheelchair is there on the page, but never explained or pointed out. Our happy puppy only sees his boy. And all the love and fun ahead together!

Highly recommended. A must read for dog fans of all ages.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Attention all you trendy picture book authors-want to have books kids will love even when the trends change? Take a look at a Marilyn Singer book. Here is a fine example of her work.

There is no mention ANYWHERE in this book (except in the end notes) that the little boy here is in a wheelchair, though we see that from the start on the exuberant front cover. No, this is just about a very lively puppy and his boy, and that's all it's about. As a result, it is the sort of picture book that will still be on the shelf when the earnest picture books filled with inclusive messages and no stories have gone in the recycle bin.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST BOOK EVER!!

For real, i can't wait to read this out loud to my pre-k kiddos.

[Laura (Bookworm Extraordinaire) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you only buy one picture book in your life make sure it is Best Day Ever! illustrated by Leah Nixon and written by Marilyn Singer!
TINY ILLUSTRATED A BOOK, Y'ALL AND I'M OBSESSED WITH IT! I can't even describe how adorable and fun and important this little picture book is. I don't want to spoil it, but let's just say that this is the type of picture book that is inclusive for disabled children without ever having to say so. Leah's illustrations bring a friendship to life and I cried while reading it! Please please buy this for your children, for your family's kids, your neighbors' kids, strangers' kids, friends' kids. Buy this book and give it to every kid you know!

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved that the main character was in a wheelchair. I want to see more representation in children's books of those who have motor atypical.

The rest of the book...eh

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Richie’s Picks: BEST DAY EVER! by Marilyn Singer and Leah Nixon, ill., Clarion, May 2021, 32p., ISBN: 978-1-328-98783-9

“Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah
Bow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yeah”
-- George Clinton, “Atomic Dog” (1982)

“Wake up happy, have a stretch.
Then I sniff the air.
Lick your face a bunch of times,
glad that we’re a pair.
Best day ever!”

“The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.”
--American Library Association website, “Schneider Family Book Award”

BEST DAY EVER! features a rambunctious little dog--a real handful--who has a loving boy owner. What is notable about this very fun picture book, written in verse, is that that boy spends his days in a wheelchair.

When you ignore the dog and watch the boy, from page to page to page, you develop an understanding of what this particular fictional character can physically accomplish, which is a lot. Of course, there is also plenty he cannot do. The illustrator is a dog lover and artist who spends her days in a wheelchair. She has done an excellent job of portraying details of the boy’s abilities.

It is essential for educators to expose students to literature and other age-appropriate artistic expressions that enhance understanding of those who look, talk, or dress differently. Back when I was an early childhood educator, I always kept an eye out for such books to share at circle time. When children read or listen to books that depict people who are different from them, whether the difference is in skin color, family composition, religious garb such as hijabs, or people in wheelchairs, they come to feel more comfortable encountering such people in real life.

So, after young audiences get a kick out of the little dog chasing the cat, chasing the snake, knocking over the lamp, or rolling on a smelly dead fish and then jumping up into the boy’s lap, re-read them the story and have them focus on the boy.

I also love the paw prints on the spine.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
https://twitter.com/richiespicks
richiepartington@gmail.com

[Janessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book ever! My six-year-old and I loved this short, sweet story about a day in the life of a dog. It captured the lovely way that dogs live so completely in the present moment, and made us think of our own silly doggie. My favorite part was the way the illustrations show a differently abled boy as the dog’s companion. My daughter connected with his irritation over the dog’s bath time antics and didn’t say a word about the fact that he was in a wheelchair. He was just a normal kid like her with a normal, sometimes naughty pet. When we got to the end and my daughter asked me to read it again, I knew it needed all the stars!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An utter delight. I loved the art, the narration, the rhythm, the DOGGO, everything. My heart.

[Maryalice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told from the point of view of a very energetic little puppy, Best Day Ever! follows two friends through a day that starts out great and ends up with some trouble. From stealing hot dogs (not the bun) to swimming in the lake, this pup has a day full of adventure. When he makes a mess of himself, though, the best day suddenly becomes the worst day. Can sweet this duo find their way back to the best day ever? Digital illustrations bring these characters to life. The pet's human is a boy in a wheelchair who can do a lot of the same activities that able-bodied children do. Illustrated by a paralyzed artist, this title has disability representation as a subtle message for children.

THOUGHTS: Readers will love brainstorming about their own best days and talking about things pets do. Best Day Ever! lends itself well to a writing prompt about best days or a creative writing piece about the silly things pets might be thinking. Hand this one to any pet lover.

[Vernon Area Public Library KIDS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Identity: Boy uses wheelchair, illustrator uses a wheelchair

An excitable doggie is having the best day ever with his boy until his canine antics get him in trouble. With rhyming text and a repetitious phrase, this is an excellent choice for the younger crowd and reading aloud at circle time. Another positive are the bold illustrations with an extra emphasis on emotions and facial reactions.

Reviewed by: Miss Kelsey, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great book featuring a sweet puppy and his independent wheelchair-bound little boy owner. It captures the self-reliant strength of the boy and the puppy's moves from happy when pleasing his boy, to sad, when he finds himself misbehaving!

[Yentl ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great book. Sometimes the best day can turn into the worst day and this book shows that perfectly. I loved that the main character is a disabled boy! The wonderful illustrations tell the story too. When the dog got sad you felt it in your bones lol. Read it :D

[Jacob Schmitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A picture book written in verse about the day in the life of a dog; and it didn't even feel cliché! Based on the cover, it looks like a book geared toward the life of a child in a wheelchair and his relationship with the dog. However, the book is really about a dogs different activities, which includes getting into trouble. The illustrations and text keep the book playful, while it also touches upon the struggles of having a dog, such as rolling in dead animals and breaking lamps.

The book was not an explicit text on the life of a child with a disability, but implicitly included the boy. This is effective in normalizing students with disabilities with the basic dynamic of pet ownership. Well done!

[Jared White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor little doggie, this goes from being the BEST DAY EVER to the worst day ever and then, thankfully, back to BEST DAY EVER! This was a fun book about a companion dog (maybe service dog in training?) and his boy who uses a wheelchair. This book is not about a disability but has wonderful disability representation, showing our dog's boy just going about his day.

The illustrator uses a wheelchair and has a pup she based the illustrations on, she says it was fun to use herself and her dog as models.

[Laura Salas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the exuberant puppy and its human best friend, and how the pup's day goes from best to worst to not the worst to best again, all in an exciting flurry of digging, swimming, rolling in dead fish, playing in the park, taking a bath, etc. Great to see a human main character in a wheelchair having normal kid-pet adventures.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A joyful, playful boy-and-his-dog story, in which the boy uses a wheelchair. The illustrator, Leah Nixon, is wheelchair-bound after a severe construction accident left her paralyzed from the armpits down.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told from the perspective of the dog having a fabulous and fun day are the focus, but for me as a teacher of wheelchair bound students, I noted the young boy who is the obvious caretaker of this dog. When the dog is happy, the boy is happy. When the dog makes mistakes and causes problems, the boy does his duty to fix the problems. As an animal rescuer, I love this book for the moment when the boy recognizes that his dog may need training and that will be his job. As a teacher, I loved that the boy is independent and capable of dog ownership despite being in a wheelchair.

This story by Marilyn Singer and these sweet digital illustrations by Leah Nixon offer a chance to see being wheelchair bound as just part of the life of this child and I so appreciate that for my school community! This Best Day Ever takes them to their yard (where the dog has his own digging box!), a park, a lake, a mud puddle, a bathtub, the house, and back to the yard. The joy is palpable in the scenes where the dog is overly active and exhuberant and so true about what appears to be a small Terrier in the illustrations.

[Roben · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think we have all had days that start out as a great day but then quickly turn into a bad day - but end up in a good day frame of mind. That's what happens with the dog in this book. And his owner, also. Best Day Ever quickly turns to Worst Day Ever. But it doesn't have to stay that way.

Being a librarian, I know that there just are not that many book out there that have a main character in a wheelchair going through their daily routine. Getting up, getting dressed, going to the park, hanging out in the back yard, giving their dog a bath, and getting upset when the dog is a little too rambunctious. This book will fill a huge hole in both library and classroom collections.

In addition, the author explains that the events in the book were inspired by two of her own dogs. The illustrator, Leah Nixon, had a spinal cord injury which left her partially paralyzed. She uses a wheelchair and has a very helpful pet dog. She was happy she could use both herself and her dog as models for this book!

[Meaghan Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story won the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. This book was about a child in a wheelchair and his dog. This book takes the perspective of the dog where he is put through daily activities, and those activities determine if he has the best day ever, or the not so best day ever. This story's visual style shows a variety of textures as well as focuses on the perspective of the dog. Some of the textures that are shown in this story include the grass, mud, the fur of the dog, the little boy, and the bubbles in the bathtub. By displaying these textures, the illustrator and author want the readers to feel as though they are there with the characters. It gives the book a realistic touch. By making the story in the perspective of the dog, it makes the reader think how their actions affect their animals. Teachers may utilize this book in their book selections for if they are teaching about actions and consequences as well as spread awareness of children with disabilities such as being in a wheel chair.

[Katherine Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher for an inclusive preschool classroom (ages 3-5), I have to say this book was SUCH a hit with our kiddos! The simple repetitive text really captured their attention and the children loved to chime in during the reading. Beyond that, I love how the book shows how to work through social problems. At one point the boy gets frustrated because the dog knocks over the lamp. I used this as a discussion point with the kids to ask them if they’ve ever felt frustrated. If you needed another reason to read this book, I LOVE the positive portray of disability. It is rare to find a picture book that shows a disabled character without making the disability be the focal point of the story. As a teacher, I want my children to see that people with disabilities can still do many important things. The boy in the story is shown doing lots of different things like getting ready for the day, giving the dog a bath, and going out in the park. We used this book during our exercise study to show different ways we can play outside.Our children could really relate to the boy and that was priceless.

[LaVonne Hanlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

PreK-1. This dog’s-eye-view of a perky pooch’s antics with his owner – who happens to use a wheelchair – is a rollicking romp that’s sure to appeal to any dog lover. Although the boisterous pup experiences highs and lows throughout his day, his loving master is up for any challenge, from bathing and cleanup to snuggles and play. A great depiction of how differently-abled children handle everyday life, vibrantly rendered by illustrator Leah Nixon (who also uses a wheelchair) and award-winning author Marilyn Singer. Readers can enjoy an interview with Singer and find tips on writing at https://marilynsinger.net/marilyn-on-... or follow artist/adapter Leah Nixon on Instagram@tinyhome_maker

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age: Toddler-Preschool
Identity: Boy uses wheelchair, illustrator uses a wheelchair
Emotions: Excitable, getting in trouble

An excitable doggie is having the best day ever with his boy until his canine antics get him in trouble. With rhyming text and a repetitious phrase, this is an excellent choice for the younger crowd and reading aloud at storytime. Another positive are the bold illustrations with an extra emphasis on emotions and facial reactions.

We absolutely need more picture books that normalize children with disabilities living their lives, instead of the occasional page that features a child in a wheelchair.

[Jolynne Dougherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diverse illustrations, dog story, apologies - Oh, I wish I could give this book some extra stars! A young boy and his dog spend the day together - the best day ever. While they have different ideas of what makes a wonderful day - finding a stinky smell to roll in, they stick together. When the dog goes a little wild, and the little boys fusses at him, he apologizes for speaking sharply to him. (I love modeling that kind of behavior. My favorite part of this book is that the boy is in a wheelchair. He's just a normal kid, doing normal kid things. We need more illustrations like this. Yay Leah Nixon!!

[Cynthia June Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended.
Dog and wheelchaired-human friend.
Dog's p.o.v.
"Wake up happy, have a stretch, then I sniff the air . . ."
Good events ensue . . ."Best day ever!"
Mistakes and baths and scolding ensue. "NOT the best day ever" and "Worst day ever."
Forgiveness and relationship restored: "best day ever!"
Cute book. touching message. Expressionate dog-illustrations.
Every child / almost every child will relate to the fun-loving & getting-scolded dog.
Absolutely adorable.
Full of joi de vivre.
Wish I could be this dog.
(Illustrator uses a wheelchair.)
Important to use for story-time because of normalizing/accepting disabilities.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one fantastic book. It’s about a young boy who uses a wheelchair and his peppy pup. It is narrated by the dog and told from her point of view. The story is told in rhyme, which not only makes it good for reading out loud to a child, but it would also work well in a story time. The illustrations are colorful, lively, and complement the text perfectly. Both the author and the illustrator have done an exceedingly good job of showing the special bond between a child and his pet. The story teaches us to learn to roll with what life brings us, but it is not overly didactic. This is a five-star picture book, hands down.

[Angie Counsell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story of a day through the eyes of a dog. I love that his boy is in a wheelchair. This isn't addressed at all through the book, it just shows it as normal (which it is) and regular in this families life. The dog's adventures lead him from best day ever all the way to worst day ever (he got in trouble) but finishes positive. Showing children that it is ok to have a range of emotions throughout the day is great. Showing them that its ok to feel all the different emotions and that a few bad things don't make the whole day, it's ok to feel the bad then move on from it and still have a great day.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming story told from a puppy's perspective. They take readers through the events of their day. It's interesting to see how the puppy sees events as compared to how we react to them. The best day ever for the dog includes splashing in the mud and rolling on a dead fish. Sadly, his best friend (the boy) does not react in the same way to these same events. As observers, readers can appreciate the humor. Great book to talk about compare/contrast.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about a puppy who is having the best day ever, until she's not. When she gets stinky and needs a bath and then gets in trouble for being rowdy in the house, it's the worst day ever. But cuddles convince her it's the best day ever again.

Love that the human in the book is a little boy in a wheelchair, but it's never mentioned.

Good for talking about shaking off something bad that happened.

Also good to see that it's normal for our emotions to go up and down over time.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

An energetic puppy describes the events of his day in superlatives. Some activities are fun and the best. Some other occurrences are the worst. The similarities between the puppy's swiftly changing moods and that of young children will be recognized by care-givers.
Language arts tie-ins: POV, rhyming words, pattern structure of story.
Compare with Now by Portis, and The Dog's Gardener by Storms.
This title will be enjoyed by preschoolers through early elementary readers.

[Makenna Rojas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cute, lighthearted book. I chose this book to lighten the mood after I read my holocaust and ww2 books, and it definitely did make me smile. It is a short and sweet story about a puppy who goes out and plays, the sun is shining, then he gets a bath and it becomes the worst day ever. Then his owner, a little boy in a wheelchair takes him out to play after! It would be a nice book to read to hook students back in during work time!