Tuesday 8 October 2024

Nobody Likes Monday

Nobody Likes Monday by Kelly Lee, illustrated by Amy Calautti (EK Books) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9781922539847

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Monday wants to stay in bed because nobody likes her – she even receives a load of complaint letters. Then she comes up with a great idea. Surely Tuesday will help her out by swapping days with her? But Tuesday will not budge. Neither will Wednesday, Thursday nor Friday. And there is no point asking Saturday and Sunday – ‘people wished it was the weekend EVERY day’. She checks her mailbox, and finds a colourful letter. A child has written to her, saying that Monday is the best day of the week because they made new friends that day. Monday decides to ‘only focus on the positive letters from now on’, and she soon realises that she is ‘full of possibilities’.

Kelly Lee’s quirky story brings to life the days of the week to gently impress upon readers aged four to eight that their sense of self should come from within, not from what others think of them. Monday tries to be something she’s not, which detracts from the wonderful things she is: a day of new beginnings, and a day of special moments. As kids giggle at the amusing scenarios, they will find the strength to turn away from negativity and embrace positivity.

Kudos to Amy Calautti for coming up with a clever and charming way to characterise the various weekdays. Monday’s sadness sees her transformed into a blueberry shape, daydreamy Wednesday is a green hippy, and Thursday resembles the Norse god Thor. Eye-catching colours explode from the pages, especially as Monday drives her car along a rainbow to visit the other days, and when she receives affirming letters from young fans.

Every day that children read Nobody Likes Monday is a good day – because they’ll appreciate the beauty of self-acceptance more and more. The bright hues and cute characters will draw even the most reluctant of readers to this unique picture book.

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