Russ is having an excellent day -- his Mom makes his favourite breakfast; he gets ready for school in time to catch the end of his favourite TV show; and he finds a 5-dollar bill on the way to school. It doesn't take long for Russ to decide to keep the money and treat himself and his friend Kevin to ice cream at lunch. Good things keep happening to Russ. He's invited to a birthday party; he rides a scooter during gym; and his science class visits a very cool exhibit of cold-blooded animals. After lunch, Russ and Kevin are standing in line for ice cream when they notice a girl who's crying. She's upset over losing the five dollars she'd brought to buy a special lunch that day. Uh-oh, think Kevin and Russ, could this be the same five dollars they found? And, just when they were about to take their first lick! Young readers will sympathise with Russ's difficult decision. Should he give the girl the money or not? Here's a clue: Russ continues to have an almost perfect day even though it doesn't include ice cream.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
K-Gr 3-This is the third book about Russ, a Down syndrome child. On this particular day, everything is going his way: S'mores for breakfast, finding a five-dollar bill on the way to school, a video in math class, scooters and hula hoops in gym, and a special visit from some snakes in science class. At lunch he plans on buying ice cream with the money until he sees one of his friends crying. She has lost her lunch money and Russ realizes that he might have it. He gives her the bill and doesn't get the ice cream, but he likes the good feeling he has inside. The full-color photographs of the children were taken in Russ's school. It is heartening to see a special-needs child so positively integrated into a school setting. One minor complaint-the dialogue balloons superimposed on the pictures are somewhat of a distraction. Often they repeat the text; when they don't, they're unnecessary, for the facial expressions of Russ, his friends, and the adults say it all.-Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
About the Author
Janet Elizabeth Rickert is Russ's mother. Until recently, she was a labor and delivery nurse in the Chicago area. A member of the National Association for Down Syndrome, she and her husband and son live in Oak Forest, Illinois. Russ is a second grader fully included in regular education at Ridge School in his home town.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a great story!,
By John K. Paul (Burlington, VT) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Russ and the Almost Perfect Day (Day with Russ) (Hardcover)
Kids will really connect with this book. Russ and his friends are so believable and likeable. The vibrant color photos practically pop off the page. What I love about this series is that it isn't specifically 'for' kids with Down syndrome--any reader will appreciate Russ' spunk and the story's message.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "Perfect" book,
By "lacurto" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Russ and the Almost Perfect Day (Day with Russ) (Hardcover)
I have all three of the Day with Russ books and they all deserved the 5 star ratings I've given them but this one is my favorite. I appreciate the fact that Russ's DS is never mentioned in the book, it's just a fact. The pictures are beautiful and the story itself is lovely. I love the lesson Russ gets about doing the right thing and the fact that he is an example to his friend Kevin. I just wish that Janet Rickert would write more Russ books. Because my own son has DS I tend to look for books that feature children with it but the wonderful thing about the Russ books is that the stories are good, the pictures fun and Russ's DS is just part of who he is! I love it!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Book,
By
This review is from: Russ and the Almost Perfect Day (Day with Russ) (Hardcover)
I give Russ and the Almost Perfect Day a very positive evaluation in terms of inclusive children's literature. It describes an interesting series of events, centred on a character who happens to have a disability, but this disability is not the focus of the book. Russ is similar to other students in his interests, activities and problems. The storyline is simple yet interesting as it presents a wonderful school day for Russ. All children would love to imagine a fun filled day similar to his experience. He must make a difficult decision that other children can relate to, and several of his emotions are expressed through the colourful, appealing photographs on each page. There are no stereotypes or labels used, all settings are inclusive of someone with a disability, and all situations show Russ in valued roles, as an active and contributing individual. I highly recommend it as a valuable example of how inclusive children's literature should be written. It would be an asset to any school or home library.
Joan McHale
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