Hello, friends! Our book today is Thursday, written by Ann Bonwill and illustrated by Kayla Harren, a moving look at trauma, healing, and friendship.

“They told her on a Thursday.” Prior to her parents breaking the news of their divorce to the unnamed little girl protagonist, Thursday was her favorite day of the week. But after that fateful Thursday, everything was be different: a new school, two new bedrooms, and a whole lot of change. Overwhelmed and scared of what’s to come, the little girl feels like she’s melting. That’s why the narrator came to stay for a while – to be a friend when the little girl needed them most.

A beautiful and touching exploration of how children process trauma. Told from an unusual point of view – and one I won’t give away here, because the slow reveal is part of the story’s flawless construction – Bonwill weaves a challenging yet affirming story of how children deal with trauma, and how both those around them and they themselves can help the healing process. Bonwill’s text is simple yet extremely heartfelt, and offers actionable strategies in addition to empathetic words. Harren’s atmospheric illustrations tell so much story themselves, filled as they are with incredible details and deep emotion of their own. There’s also some great representations of diversity, including a tattooed/pierced educator of color that made my day (yay for body diversity). The length is good for a storytime, but this is a book that is best for slow consideration and discussion, and/or for kids going through tough times who need to feel seen. Overall, a truly affecting picture book that we highly recommend – Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by a representative of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)