The Sunday Blues: A Book for Schoolchildren, Schoolteachers, and Anybody Else Who Dreads Monday Mornings [Hardcover]

Neal Layton (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0763619752 | ISBN-13: 978-0763619756 | Publication Date: July 22, 2002

A funny and all-too-familiar story that will delight anybody who has a hard time looking forward to Monday mornings.


Steve was fed up. He was fed up because it was Sunday and because
that meant tomorrow was Monday and because that meant SCHOOL!

What is good about Sundays? Walking the dog, splashing in puddles, visiting Auntie Vera, and yummeroony food, for starters. But Steve still can’t help having the Sunday Blues. He knows that Monday morning is right around the corner - and can anything good happen on Mondays?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 1-This piece of bibliotherapy concerns Steve, who is "fed up" because it is Sunday, and the next day he'll have to go to school. His parents try to cheer him up with a walk, a visit to Auntie Vera, and his favorite dinner, but nothing helps. Predictably, the dreaded moment arrives, and, predictably, Steve joins in the playground fun and decides that school isn't "so bad after all." The scribbly, childlike cartoon illustrations show a child too young to be obsessing over "times tables tests," math, and French. However, when such young students decide that "school [is] really, really, really horrible," there is usually a reason other than "school clothes" or "school lunches" mentioned here. It is difficult to imagine a young child relating to the fears of times tables, or an older child who can be rescued from such fears by the thought of playground joys.
Marian Drabkin, formerly at Richmond Public Library, CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Neal Layton has worked in a chocolate factory, a teapot factory, a perfume factory, a bookstore, and on a lettuce farm, but he likes working as an illustrator best. His illustrations are created using many different media: pencil, paint, ink, collage, and marker, all of which are then scanned into the computer. Neal Layton holds degrees in graphic design and illustration. He credits the idea for this book to his sister, a teacher.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (July 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763619752
• ISBN-13: 978-0763619756
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,573,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not so blue after all, October 16, 2002

By 

"hybridtheorist" (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Sunday Blues: A Book for Schoolchildren, Schoolteachers, and Anybody Else Who Dreads Monday Mornings (Hardcover)

Steve is a lot like everyone else in the world. He hates Sundays because the next day is Monday. His thoughts and actions on school are a lot like mine with work. The Sunday Blues goes through Steve's regular Sunday activities but we actually get to see what he is thinking. His thoughts aren't just about school either, they are about his dog, his aunt, and his mom and dad. It is interesting to see how well even an adult can relate to this book, maybe even more than children. We start with Steve looking depressed, and we go right into his thoughts of school books, clothes, food, test, and teachers. Then we jump from his thoughts of school to what is going on to his day. He eats lunch with his parents, goes to the park, and visits his aunt. We see a lot of good things happening during his day but right after we see how Steve is still dreading Monday. Eventually as we read through and look at these child like drawings Monday arrives. Steve shows up at school and sees "Mark playing soccer," "Dave and Tanya looking at books," and "Tim, Sarah, and Stacey playing jump rope." Just as the book finishes we can also look back and say "maybe school wasn't so bad after all."

4.0 out of 5 stars The Sunday Blues, November 6, 2004

By 

Kathy L. Griffith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sunday Blues: A Book for Schoolchildren, Schoolteachers, and Anybody Else Who Dreads Monday Mornings (Hardcover)

Neal Layton's "The Sunday Blues" is "a book for schoolchildren, schoolteachers and anybody else who dreads Monday mornings". Through cartoon illustrations Layton portrays the dread Steve feels anticipating Monday and the return to school. Sunday is filled up with the fun of walking the dog, splashing in puddles and visiting Auntie Vera. The bright cartoon illustrations will delight young school age children and the bold simple lines compliment the story. Happily, Steve's worries about Monday morning disappear when he finds all his friends playing in the schoolyard before class. "The Sunday Blues" will reassure everyone that Mondays may not be nearly as bad as we anticipate them to be!