A Picture Book for Kids -
A Good Day by Kevin Henkes

This short and simple picture book for kids is perfect for preschoolers.  The colorful illustrations and simple, yet profound, text will help a child see how even a bad day can turn into a good day!

It begins...

          It              

                      was 

 a

                        bad

                                         day...      

Picture Book for Kids Summary

We find each animal having a difficult day for various reasons.  Then the story takes a turn with two words - "But then..."

But then something good happens to each animal and their day becomes a good day.  In the end we see how even though their difficulties were hard, one of them actually became the reason for a little girl to have a good day!



What I love about this book:

  • The illustrations are simple and bright, each with a cute animal and a different primary color focus. (yellow bird, white dog, orange fox, etc.)
  • Each page only has one line of simple text for preschoolers' short attention spans and the text is large for them to identify letters or words.
  • The message gives hope that even though our day may start out bad, it can get better.  Even if it doesn't get better for us, it may have helped someone else's day get better. 

How to Make the Most of the Read

Intellectual development

  1. Colors: Practice & learn colors and color words.
  2. Vocabulary: Point to words like feather and have the child point to the feather in the picture.  Do the same with words like leash, fence, nut, etc.
  3. Letter & Sound Recognition:  Play "I Spy" with letters.  I spy five l's on this page or I spy a letter that makes this sound.

Emotional development

  1. This little picture book for kids teaches perspective and how to see things turn around for good which brings hope. Learning how to turn a frown upside down is a valuable coping lesson. Some days may seem bad, but there is always hope they can get better!  

Play "But then..." scenarios.  Talk about things that could make our day seem bad; then come up with a "but then..." something good that could make it better.  Ex:   I may lose a penny, but then find a quarter!  It may rain, but then we could build a tent inside! 

Have the child draw a frown and then have them turn it upside down for each "but then."

Social development

  1. Be aware that everyone has bad days and sometimes we can help others' days get better.


Spiritual development

So many Bible verses bring hope with two words - "But God".  This picture book for kids can remind children that there is always hope when we remember God is in control and He loves us!  "He's got this", even our bad days.

Here are a few:

  • Genesis 8:1 "But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded."
  • Genesis 50:20 "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
  • Acts 13:29-30 "When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead . . ."
  • Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
  • Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."