Tomorrow is a Brand-New Day

by Davina Bell, Allison Colpoys (Illustrator)

The follow-up to bestselling All the Ways to be Smart by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys.

Good or bad, the things you do
are all a part of being you —
of learning how to take your boat
on stormy seas and stay afloat.

From the creators of All the Ways To Be Smart comes a message of hope: hard days come and go, but love is with us always. A healing and uplifting tribute to learning and growing — to making mistakes and making amends.

— The perfect gift for children embarking on new challenges
— A wonderful educational tool for teachers and librarians helping children process big changes and big emotions
— Just right for fans of I am Human by Susan Verde & Peter H. Reynolds and by Jory John and Pete Oswald.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Emotion, Social, School, Plays

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 6, 2022

About the author

Davina Bell is a writer for young people of many ages, and a children’s book editor. Her award-winning and Notable picture books include All the Ways To Be Smart, All of the Factors of Why I Love Tractors, Under the Love Umbrella, The Underwater Fancy-dress Parade, Oh Albert! and Hattie Helps Out. She is also the author of the Alice books in Penguin’s best-selling Our Australian Girl series, the Lemonade Jones series of Junior Fiction, and the Corner Park Clubhouse series (Middle Grade). Her debut young-adult novel will be published in June 2020.

Having been a Senior Editor at Penguin Books, she now works on the children’s list at Affirm Press in Melbourne. A lover of words and ideas in many forms, Davina regularly travels the country, speaking to children and adults about books and writing. The magic of picture books continues to enchant her.

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my toddler's bedtime. A good rhyming kids story to comfort kids that it's okay if today didn't went well because tomorrow is a new day. Love the illustrations.

Thank you Scribe Publication and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another recommend for my school counselor friends! A reminder that tomorrow is indeed a new day. Emotions range (which is okay!)

[Miloureadsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first wrote this review for my Instagram @miloureadsbooks
My housemate and best friend once said that one thing I taught her is that no matter how bad today feels, tomorrow everything might be much better. When I came across this book, I strongly considered buying it for her, and everybody I know for that matter! It is just so perfect 🥰🥰🥰
It is about two girls who are having a no good, terrible day. They pushed each other, made some silly mistakes or even did some bad things on purpose. Rather than reprimanding them, this picture book focuses on how this is part of being human. We are all imperfect and sometimes feel terrible about how we treated people. Tomorrow is a better day, where we still can make things right. Plus, even when we are on our worst behaviour, we are still loved.
I think it is so important to teach children to trust themselves, so they will know when they made a mistake, and can think of ways to fix it. In this story, they give the examples of picking flowers, writing a letter or cleaning up the garden to show you are sorry and care about the people you hurt. Too often, adults force children to apologize when they are not yet ready. Yet this book shows how children can be authentically be themselves and have opportunities to learn from their experiences, good and bad.
This story is filled to the brim with hope and positivity, and the illustrations are so brilliant, too. Even on the worst day, the colours are bright and yet the difference when a new morning comes, couldn't be starker. Allison Colpoys is a true artist! Also I love how she hung pictures and drawings of the best friends in their bedrooms, so so adorable. And the two dads casually taking care of their little baby in the background are totally melting my heart too!

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two friends each get in trouble at home, and are “in disgrace.” One, with white skin and red hair, has illicitly cut everyone’s hair; the other, with brown skin and black hair has behaved badly towards a new sibling. Emotions are on edge, and only get worse when feelings get hurt at school, and they both end up feeling “ROTTEN!” But the next day, they wake up to a desire to do better. They make amends to their families and to each other. And they know they are loved.

Bright, candy colored acrylic paint and digital art carries this earnest book about overcoming big feelings. I like the diversity of the friends and their schoolmates (several wear hijabs, one wears hearing aids) and their families (one is a single parent household and the other has two dads). Rhyming text does a good job describing feelings – worry, fear, disappointment, crankiness, anger, hurt, and finally relief that families and friends will still love you. The cheerful art and positive message that things will get better could be just what a kids needs on a bad day.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I love this book. There are two characters in this book and both are having tough days. Each girl is feeling left out or ignored in some way. I believe every child at every age can relate to these characters. One child presents with a mom and sibling but we never see dad. The other child has 2 dads and a new baby brother. Also, as adults we forget that 1 thing that happens as a kid can not only ruin the entire day but, it can also make you feel like your world is crashing down and you'll never be happy again. It's our job to remind kids that, there is a tomorrow. Yes, that thing that happened stinks. Can we move past it? How? What could you do to make it better? Sometimes we just need that gentle reminder that it's Ok. We all have tough days. Tomorrow is a new day. And we can try to do better tomorrow.

[Kelly Paradis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love love how inclusive this book is without being ABOUT inclusiveness. It just is. And I see so much of my three-year-old in these images and stories. Reading to kids about feelings and helping them understand that there is always a way to try again and that their family / caretakers love them no matter what is so critical at this age. I think this book would work well for a range of ages, starting at about 3 and going up from there. It's a wonderful message to share and read over and over again. Plus the illustrations are beautiful and easy to engage with, which makes reading this book a joy.

Thank you to Scribe Publications and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read this free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Katey Flowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for sensitive kids who take their mistakes to heart. Bold and colourful illustrations compliment the message that even when we make mistakes, hurt others, do things we regret, it is possible to make amend and make things right. A great reminder that it’s not only our ‘bad’ actions that define us, but our good ones too.. that we are all worthy of love even if we make mistakes. An antidote to shame. Very sweet.

[Alisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another entry in the make it rhyme and it's a children's book. The topic is worthwhile and the illustrations are super fun to spend time with but PLEASE write a children's book that isn't forced into a simple rhyme scheme (my pet peeve)

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is expertly designed to make a child feel better when they know they've misbehaved. Bright colors and rhyming text lift the reader up, explaining "everyone alive can say they've felt the way you do today."

[Nikki Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great comforting story for our little ones, with the important message that if today was a tough day, that it’s ok, that tomorrow is a new day and it can all turn around. Also, that it’s ok to make mistakes and this shows many different types that we can all make and that amends can be made.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I like that there was a tire swing. I like when they were standing in the treehouse because I like treehouses! I picked this book because I had a bad day today. I like that it said it okay to be mad or bad or sad sometimes.” - Luke

[Gina Soldano · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so beautifully told through the words and the art. My son and I kept pausing throughout to agree with how the characters felt and talk about our own feelings in different situations. Highly recommend!

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't really care for this book. The style of the illustrations was messy and busy. I thought the girls riding on a shooting star was odd. I'm not a big fan of rhyming books, and I didn't particularly like the rhymes in this book.

[Mandy Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok book. It didn't really stick out to me as a super good book but I could see students liking it. It would help them learn to move on from their mistakes and how to apologize to friends or family. I would put this in a 2nd-5th grade classroom.

[Lara Bate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about having hard days but tomorrow is a brand new day.

[Michelle Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Themes: feelings

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, sweet book with a lovely message. I read it in a bookstore and teared up :') Bought it for my classroom for my students to read! :)

[LibrErin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So colourful and cheery. Great message. Loved this one.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice reminder for us all.