March 11, 2025 by Tundra Books
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
There are plenty of people in Sunny's life. That's not the problem. However, her parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who live with her would rather watch television or read than play with her. As she goes shopping with her mother, she is envious of other children who have brothers and sisters to play with, and even the dogs in the park have playmates! When the adults in her home are sleeping in the afternoon heat, a knock comes at the door. It's a neighbor boy, asking for Sunny. She goes out to play and meets other children in the area, and gets to run, jump, and participate in games with them. When the frenetic activity ends with Sunny getting hit in the face with a ball, she is more than happy to return to her quiet home for some quality snuggles with her mother.
The thing that I found most interesting about this book was the setting. Sunny and her family appear to be of Asian descent, and there are some indications in the pictures that this book is not set in North America. There are signs in a different language, people sleeping in the afternoon, and even a large mesh cover on the table that looks to be for keeping bugs out of food. I would have loved to know more about where Sunny lives.
Being an only child is an singular experience, and most picture books do tend to focus on families with several children, and play up the problems siblings have getting along. It's interesting to see the challenges that Sunny faces. As much as I fought with my brother, it was always good to have someone to go on bike rides with, play board games, or run around the yard.
Pair this book with Phelan's Druthers or Chen's Play With Me when a little one is bored and doesn't know what to do. This could be a good springboard for discussion to plan activities that don't involve other people.
No comments:
Post a Comment