Yes Day!

It's easy to say yes to a book this joyful, exuberant, and full of innocent fun. Yes Day! is a keeper, perfect for sharing a knowing wink with your kids. Do you often say no to their requests? Of course. And do they sometimes ask for outlandish things? Affirmative. But the requests author Amy Krouse Rosenthal features in the book are all within parental reach and feel sweet and connected. This kid doesn't ask to play video games or for kicks that break the bank. He asks for pizza for breakfast, lunch outside, and a friend to come for dinner. Well, OK, there's a food fight. But that's pictured outside, and most of what’s thrown looks like windfall apples. The boy addresses the reader directly at the start -- "Just watch, you'll see what I mean" -- and again at the end -- "See you again next year!" -- waving readers into the fun.

Tom Lichtenheld's art is full of gentle humor. The boy's irresistibly tousle-haired, and readers have to turn the page to find out if his requests are granted. The boy, dripping wet at the bathroom mirror, asks to use hair gel, and then we see he's spiked it for the family photo with a professional photographer. A street sign on a lamppost proclaims, "NO SAYING NO." And the endpapers hilariously picture a calendar month of days dedicated to different ways of saying no: When Pigs Fly Day, Over My Dead Body Day. Though the last day -- hurray! -- is Yes Day!