Module 3 Review 2 - A sick day for Amos McGee

A sick day for Amos McGee / by Philip C. Stead.

Bibliographic Citation:

Stead, P.C. (2010). A sick day for Amos McGee. New York, NY: Roaring Book Press.

Summary:

Amos McGee is an old man who gets up every morning, has tea and breakfast, and takes bus 5 to go visit his friends as the zoo. He spends time playing chess with the elephant, racing the tortoise (who always wins), sitting quietly with the shy penguin, wiping the nose of a sniffly rhinoceros and reading stories with the owl who is afraid of the dark. One day Amos McGee wakes up with his own sniffly nose and stays in bed. The animals are worried about where he is and decide to go visit him. They leave the zoo and take bus 5 to Amos McGee’s house. Amos McGee plays chess with the elephant, hide-and-seek with the tortoise, naps with the penguin sitting by him, gets his nose wiped by the rhinoceros, and after having tea, the owl reads stories and they all settle down to sleep.

Impressions:

This is such a sweet story of friendship. The illustrations are beautifully done. They intricate detail to Amos McGee and his animal friends makes them appear so expressive and life-like. Even if there were no words, I believe the facial expressions and visible emotions would tell the story of love and friendship.

Library Use Suggestions:

This book has a fairly simple sequence, so I would have younger students act out the sequence to show the progression of the book. For older students, I would have them work in pairs or triads to create a written sequence of the book.

Reviews:

Amos McGee, an elderly man who works at the zoo, finds time each day for five special friends. With empathy and understanding he gives the elephant, tortoise, penguin, rhinoceros, and owl the attention they need. One morning, Amos wakes up with a bad cold and stays home in bed. His friends wait patiently and then leave the zoo to visit him. Their trip mirrors his daily bus ride to the zoo and spans three nearly wordless spreads. Amos, sitting up in bed, clasps his hands in delight when his friends arrive. The elephant plays chess with him, and the tortoise plays hide-and-seek. The penguin keeps Amos's feet warm, while the rhinoceros offers a handkerchief when Amos sneezes. They all share a pot of tea. Then the owl, knowing that Amos is afraid of the dark, reads a bedtime story as the other animals listen. They all sleep in Amos's room the rest of the night. The artwork in this quiet tale of good deeds rewarded uses woodblock-printing techniques, soft flat colors, and occasional bits of red. Illustrations are positioned on the white space to move the tale along and underscore the bonds of friendship and loyalty. Whether read individually or shared, this gentle story will resonate with youngsters.

Smith, M. J. (2010). [A sick day for Amos McGee]. School Library Journal, 56(5), 92.