Download high-resolution image
Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00

A New Day

Listen to a clip from the audiobook
audio pause button
0:00
0:00
This big-hearted story of kindness—reminiscent of The Day the Crayons Quit—is written by the bestselling author of Ordinary People Change the World and illustrated by the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of Beekle.

Sunday quit, just like that. She said she was tired of being a day. And so the other days of the week had no choice but to advertise: "WANTED: A NEW DAY. Must be relaxing, tranquil, and replenishing. Serious inquires only." Soon lots of hopefuls arrived with their suggestions, such as Funday, Bunday, Acrobaturday, SuperheroDay, and even MonstersWhoResembleJellyfishDay! Things quickly got out of hand . . . until one more candidate showed up: a little girl with a thank-you gift for Sunday. The girl suggested simply a nice day--a day to be kind. And her gratitude made a calendar's worth of difference to Sunday, who decided she didn't need to quit after all.

When we appreciate each other a little bit more, all the days of the week can be brand-new days where everything is possible.
© Donna Newman
Brad Meltzer is the Emmy-nominated, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ordinary People Change the World children’s book series, The Lightning Rod and twelve other thriller novels, nonfiction books such as The JFK Conspiracy, and comic books, for which he has won the prestigious Eisner Award. He is one of the only authors to have had books on the bestseller list in five different categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Advice, Children’s Books, and Graphic Books.
 
Brad is the host of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel and is responsible for helping find the missing 9/11 flag with his show Brad Meltzer’s Lost History. His children’s books are the inspiration for the PBS KIDS TV show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.  
 
His books have been read by multiple U.S. Presidents. The Hollywood Reporter put him on their list of the 25 Most Powerful Authors. And his recent commencement address at the University of Michigan has been called “one of the best of all time.” View titles by Brad Meltzer
★ "The watercolor, colored-pencil, and crayon illustrations by Caldecott medalist Santat intensify the fun and meaning of this romp." —Booklist, starred review

"Bright art captures the mania, with cotton-candy hues representing each of the anthropomorphic days . . . A humorous, meandering approach to a life lesson about leading every day with benevolence." —Kirkus

"[T]he amount of silliness carries the story through . . . With their oddball shapes and candy-colored hues, the days each have a distinct personality [and] make vivid, solid anchor points as the chaos around them grows." —BCCB

"In this amusing spoof of talent competitions . . . the creators have something more in mind than giving readers a highly inventive tickle." —Publishers Weekly

"Santat’s iconic style launches these antics in vivid, expressive illustrations; his pages are saturated with color and, with the funny word-bubble text, give this a graphic novel feel . . . Occasional rhymes provide a sing-song quality that appears at choice moments in the vibrant narrative. Enjoyably executed, this story emphasizes the importance of kindness in a world that sometimes forgets." —School Library Journal

About

This big-hearted story of kindness—reminiscent of The Day the Crayons Quit—is written by the bestselling author of Ordinary People Change the World and illustrated by the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of Beekle.

Sunday quit, just like that. She said she was tired of being a day. And so the other days of the week had no choice but to advertise: "WANTED: A NEW DAY. Must be relaxing, tranquil, and replenishing. Serious inquires only." Soon lots of hopefuls arrived with their suggestions, such as Funday, Bunday, Acrobaturday, SuperheroDay, and even MonstersWhoResembleJellyfishDay! Things quickly got out of hand . . . until one more candidate showed up: a little girl with a thank-you gift for Sunday. The girl suggested simply a nice day--a day to be kind. And her gratitude made a calendar's worth of difference to Sunday, who decided she didn't need to quit after all.

When we appreciate each other a little bit more, all the days of the week can be brand-new days where everything is possible.

Author

© Donna Newman
Brad Meltzer is the Emmy-nominated, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ordinary People Change the World children’s book series, The Lightning Rod and twelve other thriller novels, nonfiction books such as The JFK Conspiracy, and comic books, for which he has won the prestigious Eisner Award. He is one of the only authors to have had books on the bestseller list in five different categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Advice, Children’s Books, and Graphic Books.
 
Brad is the host of Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on the History Channel and is responsible for helping find the missing 9/11 flag with his show Brad Meltzer’s Lost History. His children’s books are the inspiration for the PBS KIDS TV show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum.  
 
His books have been read by multiple U.S. Presidents. The Hollywood Reporter put him on their list of the 25 Most Powerful Authors. And his recent commencement address at the University of Michigan has been called “one of the best of all time.” View titles by Brad Meltzer

Praise

★ "The watercolor, colored-pencil, and crayon illustrations by Caldecott medalist Santat intensify the fun and meaning of this romp." —Booklist, starred review

"Bright art captures the mania, with cotton-candy hues representing each of the anthropomorphic days . . . A humorous, meandering approach to a life lesson about leading every day with benevolence." —Kirkus

"[T]he amount of silliness carries the story through . . . With their oddball shapes and candy-colored hues, the days each have a distinct personality [and] make vivid, solid anchor points as the chaos around them grows." —BCCB

"In this amusing spoof of talent competitions . . . the creators have something more in mind than giving readers a highly inventive tickle." —Publishers Weekly

"Santat’s iconic style launches these antics in vivid, expressive illustrations; his pages are saturated with color and, with the funny word-bubble text, give this a graphic novel feel . . . Occasional rhymes provide a sing-song quality that appears at choice moments in the vibrant narrative. Enjoyably executed, this story emphasizes the importance of kindness in a world that sometimes forgets." —School Library Journal

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more