My Lucky Day [Paperback]

Keiko Kasza (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: September 8, 2005 | Age Range: 3 - 5 years

When a delicious-looking piglet knocks on Mr. Fox's door "accidentally," the fox can hardly believe his good luck. It's not every day that dinner just shows up on your doorstep. It must be his lucky day! Or is it?

Before Mr. Fox can say grace, the piglet has manipulated him into giving him a fabulously tasty meal, the full spa treatment (with bath and massage), and . . . freedom.

In a funny trickster tale of her own, Kasza keeps readers guessing until the surprise ending when they'll realize it was piglet's lucky day all along.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Fans of the author's The Wolf's Chicken Stew (Putnam, 1987) will not be disappointed by this amusing offering. A hungry fox is sure that it's his lucky day when a delectable-looking pig knocks on his door by mistake. Mr. Fox grabs his squealing guest and starts to prepare a feast, but the pig asks him to wait, pointing out, "I'm filthy. Shouldn't you wash me first?" The fox prepares a lovely bath and the pig compliments him on being "a terrific scrubber." But then, the pig continues, shouldn't he be fattened up a bit? And shouldn't he be massaged so that he won't be tough? Mr. Fox grudgingly complies with these requests and soon finds himself so exhausted that "He couldn't lift a finger, let alone a roasting pan." The pig heads home, clean, well fed, relaxed, and ready to plan his next call on an unsuspecting predator. Set against white backgrounds, the lively gouache illustrations enhance the humorous and witty text. The fox's facial expressions clearly reflect his range of emotions, as he goes from sheer elation to pure exhaustion. He is as gullible and endearing as the pig is sly and charming. A good choice for storyhours as well as one-on-one readings.
Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. A fox is saved the trouble of hunting for his dinner when a tasty-looking piglet arrives at his door. It's his lucky day--or so he thinks. Then, the wily piglet outfoxes the fox: Wouldn't the fox prefer a clean pig to roast? The fox gets busy heating bathwater. Next comes a spaghetti dinner to fatten Pig up, followed by a luxurious massage to make his meat more tender. The fox finally collapses in exhaustion, and the sated piglet scampers home to a warm fire, ready to plan his next "lucky day." The discerning child will find the fox's reaction to his lost dinner depicted on the back cover. Reminiscent of her earlier Wolf's Chicken Stew (1987), this well-paced, delightful book plays on traditional story patterns, enhanced by Kasza's lively illustrations. Children will relate this tale to the humor of a child outwitting a grown-up. Louise Brueggeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 5 years
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin; Reprint edition (September 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014240456X
• ISBN-13: 978-0142404560
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Foxes & Wolves
  • #47 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Pigs

More About the Author

Keiko Kasza was born on a small Japanese island in the Inland Sea of Japan. She grew up in a typical Japanese extended family with her parents, two brothers, and grandparents. Uncles, aunts, and cousins also lived nearby. "All the steps I took growing up were very normal," Ms. Kasza says. "The only unusual thing I did was go to college in the United States." She graduated with a degree in graphic design from California State University at Northridge. Ms. Kasza married an American, and the United States has been her home ever since.After publishing five children's books in Japan and working as a graphic designer for fourteen years, Ms. Kasza decided in 1988 to devote her time to picture books. She says, "Having two small boys and two professions was too much to handle."Ms. Kasza admires many great picture-book creators, such as Leo Lionni and Maurice Sendak, but says that the work of Arnold Lobel has influenced her the most. The subtle humor and warmth he created in his books continues to inspire me," she says. "I often go back to his work when I get discouraged or lose confidence."Ms. Kasza compares the process of making a book to acting on stage under the lights:"I become the character that I'm working on at that moment. I pretend that I'm a bird looking for a mother, or a pig trying to impress his girlfriend. When I'm acting, I'm a child myself."Ms. Kasza's ambition is not to create a hundred books, but to "create one really good book that will be kept on the family bookshelves for generations, although a hundred really good books would be even better, of course!"Keiko Kasza lives in Indiana with her husband and two sons.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Foxy stuff November 2, 2005

By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Every children's librarian has their storytime "secret weapon". The picture book that, should all else fail, will completely suck in and delight all children within hearing distance of the storyteller's voice. Some librarians swear by "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus", by Mo Willems. Others keep a copy of "Bark, George", by Jules Feiffer at hand at all times. Finally, there are those amongst us for whom nothing but "Duck On a Bike", by Dave Shannon is the answer. Myself? I figure a person can't go wrong with Keiko Kasza's masterpiece, "My Lucky Day". Telling a tale eerily similar to her early and tepid, "The Wolf's Chicken Stew", Kasza gives us a brilliant picture book custom-made for the storytime tellers amongst us. Keep you Shannons and your Feiffers. Give me a good Kasza anytime.

A fox is just about getting ready for a night's hunt for his dinner when who should come knocking on his door but a wayward piglet. The piglet, mistaking the fox's home for that of his friend Rabbit, is aghast at the situation, but the fox is understandably delighted. Whisking the protesting porker into his home, the carnivore is eager to plop the piggy into the roasting pan. Now condemned to his fate, the piglet points out that he is truly filthy. So the fox runs a variety of different errands and ends up giving the piglet a terrific bath. The piglet is once again in the frying pan when it points out that it's a rather small porker. Wouldn't some fattening up be a good idea? "Just a thought, Mr. Fox". So the fox runs around frantically and cooks up a fabulous meal for the pig. When at last it seems that the pig will finally be a tasty treat, it points out that its meat is mighty tough and that a massage should be in order.... So effective is this massage too, that it completely exhausts the now prone figure of the fox. The piglet takes his leave and scratches off "Mr. Fox" from his address book. "Who shall I visit next?". The final picture in the book is of a once more dirty piggy staring up in "horror" at a grinning bear.

Like "Bark, George", this is one of those picture book endings that kids just "get". Once when I pulled it out and announced that I'd be reading it during my storytime, a five-year-old sagely elbowed the fellow next to him and announced in a stage whisper that this was a "really funny" book that he'd already heard at school. I can attest that even if your audience members know what is coming and laugh ahead of the jokes, it still makes for a wonderful reading. Much of this is due to Kasza's illustrations. Whenever the pig sends the fox on a job of some sort, we get a great series of images, showing the bushy tailed fellow running hither and thither. The massage sequence is especially amusing. First of all, how many picture books can you come up with off the top of your head that show different types of massage? The idea is so preposterous that it works beautifully within the context of the story. And when at last the fox can take it no longer and slips backwards onto the floor in a stupor, his claws leave deep indentations on the bench where the piglet is reclining. The single sentence of "Mr. Fox, are you there?" coupled with the swiftly retreating paws gets a laugh every time.

In the text, Kasza gives us a marvelous story that will remain a classic from here on in. She gives us rising and falling action, a protagonist who belies his seeming innocence at the start of the tale, plenty of spoonfuls of humor, and a twist ending that no one sees coming. I read this book aloud to a group of high school students and they adored it. Everyone does, it seems. Though (sad to say) Ms. Kasza hasn't written anything to match this book in brilliance, we can at least hold "My Lucky Day" in our hands and give thanks that she came up with what she did. If you have a library collection of any sort (be it personal, professional, or just a shack somewhere with a single shelf to its name) this is a must-own book. If you tell stories to kids, add this puppy to your repertoire ASAP. A keeper. Read more ›

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book April 13, 2004

By Autumn A. Wood

Format:Hardcover

Our family loves this book! My husband will use the catchy phrase "just a thought Mr. Fox" when ending sentences with us. This is a wonderful book that our daughter instantly made one of her favorites. We read this book at least three times a week and sometimes more.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cleverly crafted and delightful! December 23, 2003

By Elizabeth Beers

Format:Hardcover

I have three sons, ages 2, 4, and 7, who are captivated by this book and bombard me with requests to "Read it again, Mommy!" My two year old refers to My Lucky Day as his favorite book, and he carries it everywhere. Not only is the story line clever, but the illustrations are also fabulous. The last time I read a children's story with an ending this clever was when I got Bark, George, by Jules Pfeiffer.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars very cute book November 9, 2003

By C. Suzuki

Format:Hardcover

My girls (age 2 and 4) really love this book. It has an unexpected ending with the pig outsmarting the fox. This book is my first introduction to this author and I plan to check out her other books as well. The book has been fun to read to them and is a frequent choice for bed-time reading.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars WE LOVE THIS BOOK May 3, 2005

By S. Trabold

Format:Hardcover

We have purchased 4 copies of this book (one for ourselves and three to give away)! It is clever, the pictures are hilarious, and you won't be disappointed by it in any way. We can't wait to see more books by this author/illustrator!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars smart pig June 21, 2006

A Kid's Review

Format:Hardcover

i liked this book because the pig is smarter than the wolf and has him do things for him like cook and clean him, that way he wont eat him. then the wolf gets too tired and falls asleep. the pig gets away and then you find out in the end that he had planned it all along. its really funny.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars excelent children book January 25, 2004

By nadhsar

Format:Hardcover

Attractive, enticing story and very beautiful pictures. Both parents and chidren will enjoy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Our Lucky Day! May 24, 2009

By V. Dixon

Format:Unknown Binding

Found this book in the clearance section of a book store about a year ago. This was our first of any of Keiko Kasza's books. What a great find! My daughter (4 years old) and I have read this over and over again! We get so tickled with the pig's requests and the fox's responses. Our favorite line in the book is "Just a thought, Mr. Fox". The story is very entertaining and the illustrations are adorable. Loved the detail!
A surprise ending! The fox isn't the only sly animal in this book!