Field Day Friday

From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 2-Neighbors and best friends, Mickey and Longjohn enjoy sharing many activities, especially foot races. Their friendship is temporarily threatened when a loose shoestring causes Mickey's shoe to fall off on "field day" and his friend wins the race. The boy's failure rankles, especially when the other kids laugh at him, and he retreats into sulky solitude. Then Mickey's sister comes up with a way to soothe his hurt pride and mend the boys' friendship. Caseley's text is as straightforward as her story. Most of the dialogue consists of simple declarative sentences. The narrative offers more variety but retains the streamlined style. As always, the artist's brightly colored illustrations, rendered in watercolors, colored pencils, and black pen, have a childlike charm. Although simply drawn and somewhat flat looking, the characters are expressive and appealing. There's enough variation in page layout to keep the book moving smoothly, as well as interesting details like Longjohn's birth certificate (the source of his nickname-his long feet and body at birth) and a framed photo of the two friends. Readers will relate to the trials and tribulations caused by (even friendly) competition, and sisters everywhere will appreciate Jenna's thoughtful, clever contributions.