Ava and her mother look forward to the one day of the week in the picture book Saturday by Oge Mora (published 2019). Every week they spend Saturday together doing fun things like visiting the library, having picnics, and getting their hair done. On one particular Saturday, everything seems to go wrong for the mother and daughter: story time was canceled, a puddle ruined their hairdo, and (worst of all) they forgot the tickets for their special puppet show! In the end, Ava is the positive influence as she reminds her mother that spending time together is the reason they like Saturdays so much.
End matter explains that the collages for the book were made with “acrylic paint, china markers, patterned paper, and old-book clippings.” While collage may not be my favorite style, the collages in this book were certainly well done. Collage gives each illustration a depth that otherwise would be missing, such as the items on the table in the first two-page spread as mother and daughter each their breakfast. Somehow the the author-illustrator manages to keep the mother and daughter looking the same on every spread, even though it’s a new setting. The artistic talent is impressive. The emphasis the author-illustrator shows on some pages gives further meaning to her words. For example, one page shows Ava multiple times to emphasize the moment of calm she sought (“Ava was quiet for a moment. / Then she closed her eyes, / and –whew! — let out a deep breath.”).
I liked how the book came together at the end with a quiet reminder that we can have joy even when things don’t go just the way we want them to go.
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