Sunday Chutney

by Aaron Blabey

The new girl at school has a glamourous life. What more could she want? Sunday Chutney is not your ordinary every-day girl. Sunday has lived everywhere and been everywhere. The only problem is this means she is always the new girl at school and she never really has a place to call come. But Sunday doesn't mind, not really. After all, she doesn't care what people think, she loves her own company, she has heaps of imaginary friends, so many important interests that keep her very busy . . . and traveling is so glamorous. What more could Sunday Chutney want?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Kids, School

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Aaron is an Australian author of children's books and artist who until the mid-2000s was also an actor. His award winning picture books include Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon and the best-selling Pig the Pug.

In the field of acting, he is probably best known for his lead roles in two television dramedies, 1994's The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award, and 2003's CrashBurn, before retiring from performance in 2005.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I like both Sunday, and the author's artwork, there's really no story here: it's just Sunday describing her life - her likes and dislikes, and what it's like to always be the new kid. I wish I could have seen this likable little girl's character inserted into a fun, juicy tale. That would have been some real fun.

[Glitterbomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with my daughter for her 2018 Premiers Reading Challenge.

A delightful story about a girl who is always the new girl in school. Its cute, spunky and a little bit eccentric. The illustrations are fun and quirky and the story has a wonderful moral. My daughter and I both enjoyed this one.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't really like this CBC nominated 2009 picture book. Didn't like the pictures very much, especially those of the main character Sunday Chutney - something to do with the mouth I think. Also, didn't like some of the choice of words to tell the story of Sunday, who is always on the move with her family and has to change school often. Some of the sentences were a bit out of character - like her comments about "the benefits of a big breakfast". Would she really have said that? Worthy message though for those kids having to deal with constant changes because of their family life.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, this one has a good message, even if it gets slightly mixed up in the middle. The only place this falls down is the part of the text where it was like Blabey couldn't decide if he was writing a book about being the new kid or being part of a family that moves a lot. To me those could/should be two different stories.
But I like Sunday Chutney, she's different and fabulous. This would be a good book to gift a child who may be going overseas, moving house or changing school.

[Rida · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really thinking of something/someone exotic or of some adventure of a collision of multi-cultures. I thought of that because of Sunday meaning something to do with the Sabat maybe and Chutney would be the Indian side of the girl or something. The title is very misleading I mean it didn't even mention why she is named what she is named. I just think that this could have been a great book with lots of fun ways to explore the blending of two very different cultures and maybe religions. I don't know it was kind of a downer. shrug

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book description:

The new girl at school has a glamourous life. What more could she want? Sunday Chutney is not your ordinary every-day girl. Sunday has lived everywhere and been everywhere. The only problem is this means she is always the new girl at school and she never really has a place to call come. But Sunday doesn't mind, not really. After all, she doesn't care what people think, she loves her own company, she has heaps of imaginary friends, so many important interests that keep her very busy . . . and traveling is so glamorous. What more could Sunday Chutney want?

[Andrea Damic · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sunday Chutney", another fantastic book from Aaron Blabey. A story about always being the new kid, not settling in, changing schools, friends, places to live, wishing to have a place to call home however at the same time being mature about it, respecting parents and what they do for her and not caring what others think of her as she knows who she is. Just love it, like every book I've read so far from Aaron Blabey.

[Nam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like Blabey tried hard, but missed the mark. There doesn't seem to be a clear ending or message. 'I'm good at making friends with girls, but I'm always alone.' 'I don't like moving about, but I love it.' Children who this relates to could just find themselves confused about their feelings. They are given no good guidance through those feelings. I would not read this with a 'new kid' child because it doesn't have any conclusion.

[Andy Nordvall · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels very true to childhood. She lists her life, the stuff she likes and doesn’t like, without the sense of an adult adding on a morale to it. Not much is made of her moving around a lot. Her last wish is for a permanent home OR a monster truck. There doesn’t seem to be a story, just Sunday talking about about her life but in a way that seemed authentic, charming and entertaining, which I’d imagine was a very difficult balancing act. So, kudos to Mr. Blabey

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Mr. Blabey's second book. It is nicely done. This book reminds me of the Olive series with a spunky girl who has lots of spirit. Sunday keeps moving band becoming the new girl at school. She has a good sense of who she is and has no trouble bouncing back after things go wrong for her. Highly recommended for Grades 1-3.

[Haley Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed this book was not about the weekly tradition of eating chutney, but it is cute. Great for a kid who moves around a lot!! Shows making friends is possible. Also good for a kid who may encounter a "new kid at school"- shows they are just like them!

[Dee-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great children's book about a quirky young girl 'Sunday' who has to move a lot due to her dad's job. The book illustrates the upside and downside of this lifestyle. Gorgeous pictures and story.

[Sonia Mcintosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunday Chutney's story reminds me of my childhood as I moved all around Victoria.

[kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

what's up the the optomitrst pages, shesh

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story about a kid who moves around a lot but always finds the positive in a situation.

[Lara Bate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a girl named Sunday who learns to embrace herself for who she is.

[Susan Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Sunday Chutney's sunny outlook. I was a Navy brat and moved a lot as a kid. I wish I had been as cheerful as Sunday. The illustrations are wonderful, too.

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

[Amy Seto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Sunday Chutney, a little girl with a big smile and an even bigger imagination, and she’s a bit unusual. She’s lived all over the world, which is mostly great. The only downside is that she’s always the new kid at school. But that’s ok, because Sunday doesn’t care (or does she?), because she has a vivid imagination and quite a few hobbies, from drumming to marine biology. Although it can be lonely moving around so much, Sunday has become an expert at making friends with girls, but not boys because they’re smelly and full of germs. At the end of the day Sunday wishes that she could have "the same home. Or maybe a monster truck. It depends.”

Blabey’s humorous illustrations, presented in scrapbook fashion, capture the spirit of the vivacious and eternally optimistic Sunday Chutney. With her wide smile and square plastic glasses, energetic Sunday nearly leaps off the page with enthusiasm for life. The text, written in first-person, manages to capture Sunday’s spunky spirit, but also her wistful wish to have a more permanent home.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...

[Elfdart · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a fun book about a girl who’s always the new girl. her parents are always moving from place to place so she’s been all over the world and has seen many things.. but as a result she doesn’t have any friends and is always ‘the new girl’ in school. despite this however, sunday has a really bright outlook on life. right after she says something depressing she bouces back with something funny or quirky. she has an amazing imagination and is not afraid to use it. for most of the book her imagination seems to make up for her lack of friends, but at the end she says that making friends is something she’s good at and shows her with a group of girls.
this is a good book to give a kid who moves around alot or one moving once to a new place. it voices the fears kids have in these situations, but is fun enough to almost side-step the unpleasant feelings associated with moving. she has a lot of interests and is really up beat. a fun book.

[Bridget R. Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunday Chutney is a spunky little girl. She reminds me of Clementine and Pippi. I love her imagination (mad tea party and her animal friends).

Sunday Chutney is always the new girl at school. The wonderful thing about Sunday Chutney is she doesn't care what the other kids think about her.


What I thought: A delightful book that will be a must read for any new kid at school. Sunday reminds me of several other characters (Clementine and Pippi to name two). She's spunky and happy despite all the moving her family does. The illustrations are great. After so many bright and busy books, these are refreshing. Blabley's use of pastels results in muted colors. The illustrations also have a minimalistic quality to them. My favorite illustrations are Sunday's imaginings (the mad tea party, her animal friends).

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Eloise or Olivia in her moxie and resourcefulness (and in the book’s imagination-engaging illustrations), Sunday Chutney is a grade-school girl whose family moves frequently because of her dad’s occupation. As she shares her likes and dislikes, and reflects on always being the new girl in school, Sunday reveals a little anxiety and vulnerability, but readers are assured that her self-confidence will get her through every new situation. A funny, positive story of resilience for 4-8 year olds, especially those who may be facing a family move, or who may have a new kid in their own school.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story tells of an unusual little girl, Sunday, who talks about moving too much, and how that’s hard to be the ‘new girl’ so often. Aaron Blabey tells us many things about her, her likes and dislikes, including an optometrist because of her ‘lazy eye’. He shows a wonderfully interesting girl who embraces life despite all that moving. It celebrates individuality beautifully. I imagine reading this to young students to help them find topics to write about in their own lives. How are they like Sunday, and how are they different? What are their likes and dislikes? There’s a lot to enjoy in this book!

[Mary Refalo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A contemplation on identity, Sunday Chutney is a lovely read. Sunday and her family move a lot, giving her good reason to feel lonely at times. The picture book explores identity through her perspective: Sunday describes the things she likes and the things she doesn't in a simple, naive fashion and in a way that makes it okay to be unusual and interesting in an adolescent world in which conformity rules. Blabey's illustrations are delightful and further engage the reader. Short-listed for a 'Children's Book Council of Australia' award, Sunday Chutney is a useful text for below level Stage 4 girls, particularly as a supporting, rather than as a focus, text.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm Sunday Chutney...and I'm a bit unusual" Sunday Chutney is not your average little girl. She travels around the globe, starts new schools every so often and always is fabulous! She has the imagiganation of einenstien. Sunday loves travelling in style but sometimess she just wishes she could have one home. This astonoshing, beautifully written/ illustrated book by Aaron Blabey is seriously a must read for any 'fabulous' pearson!

"if i could have one wish...
... it would be to always have the same home
Or maybe a moster truck! It depends"

[Kelsey Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book a little girl named Sunday Chutney is one of a kind. She is her own person and has the world wrapped around her besides one thing. She has to constantly get up and move, so she is always the new girl in the classroom or around town and can never make any friends that she can keep for good. This book can be related to many students in thie world, so I think that it is a great book to make into a lesson within the classroom.

Blabey, Aaron. Sunday Chutney. Honesdale, Pa.: Front Street, 2009.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Sunday Chutney, a little girl who is always the new kid at school, teaches the importance of liking oneself and acceptance. This book would be a perfect introduction to making connections in reading. Students are likely to be able to relate to the uncertainty of being a new kid or being in a new situation. Sunday's quirky habits and lifestyle could be used to teach about diversity as well. This book is perfect for a read aloud. It is just the right length and has interesting, large illustrations to hold students' interest.

[The Bookshop Umina]

I enjoyed Sunday Chutney. She is a bright child but isolated due to the family moving frequently and has a wonderful, rich imaginary life. I liked the quirky illustrations and the funny comments - the kind of things kids say when they are parrotting things Mum and Dad have said to them.

I particularly liked the way Sunday went up to children in the playground to make friends - a nice message to kids on how to meet new people.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I expected to like this book. I'd enjoyed the beautiful warm feel of Blabey's first book. This has the same feel, but is rather more along the geeky scale, than the warm fuzzy scale. Sunday Chutney has parents who are always on the move, so she is always the new kid turning up at school, and she has developed some strategies to deal with that. She does have an imaginative view, but it's a bit too Deliberately Quirky.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't think that this was a great book because there was no real plot to it, but I think that children would connect to the book because Sunday Chutney is a realistic girl. I think that children who move a lot and have to start at new schools will definitely benefit from reading this book because they will see that they are not alone and that there are other children who are in a similar position to them.