Tuesday

Wiesner, David.  (1991).  Tuesday.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Company.

         David Wiesner’s fiction children’s book, Tuesday, won the Caldecott Medal 1992.  The book has received other awards including:  ALA Notable Children’s Book, American Bookseller “Pick of the Lists”, Sesame Street Parents’ Guide “The Best of 1991”, and Parenting Magazine “The Best of 1991”.  It is unique because it contains less than fifteen words in the entire book.  The frogs are the main characters in the book.  The plot is what frogs do on Tuesday evenings.  The frogs adventure out of the pond and fly on their lily pads across telephone polls (pgs. 5-6), over houses (pgs. 7-8), through clothes hanging on clotheslines (pgs. 11-12), through a house with a grandma sleeping in a chair in front of the T.V. (pgs. 15-16), through a dog chase (pgs. 18-20), into trees (pgs. 21-22), and finally back to the pond (pgs. 23-24).  The following morning police are out on the streets investigating the many lily pads, wondering where these could have come from.  You will have to read the story to find out what happens the following Tuesday evening.

Due to its’ lack of words and simplistic writing style, I believe this book is appropriate for children ages 4 to 7.  Through watercolors, the illustrator brings the frogs to life with vivid color and sets the mood for the fun adventures.  From each setting the frogs are truly animated, whether one has a funny looking expression (pg. 21) or one who changes the channel on grandma’s remote with its tongue (pg. 15).  One is sure to get a kick out of these hilarious illustrations!  I particularly liked this book because of its fun charisma and lively illustrations, and I would recommend that students and colleagues read it as well.

         Some BIG questions you could ask your students are, “Why do you think the author used very little words?  If you were a frog in the story, where would you want to go?”.