In case you haven’t been hit in the head with this brick-ish truth yet, it’s officially cold season. Yes, you lovers of hot chocolate, fuzzy sweaters, and fireside evenings, your beloved chilly weather comes with some not so lovely side effects.
Okay, okay, so most people get colds all throughout the year and the cold season is a bit of a myth, especially when you have young children. I think colds happen year round but they are exacerbated by heating our houses and schools, etc. I am a fan of being warm in winter, but central heat sure does dry your nasal passages out. Anyway! When your family is under the weather, it’s hard to explain to little ones that everyone is sick sometimes and sick people have to rest and get lots of good care to get better.
Explaining becomes easier with a picture book.
The Sick Day by Patricia MacLachlan is an adorable book about Emily, who wakes up one morning sick and has to stay home with Daddy. She is so typically five years old, with her strange requests and boredom mixed with excitement at being in bed all day. MacLachlan knows how children talk: “My toe hurts where I stubbed it last year,” Emily says. “It hurts on and off. The ons are long.” The illustrations are soft and cozy. Of course, this picture book makes a sick day with a young child look way easier and more heart touching than it usually is for me, although there have been some beautiful moments. But at least Daddy ends up sick the next day!
This is Day 24 of the 31 Days of Picture Books series. To see more, go here.
Mr. Mia says:
One of my favorite “sick day” books as a kid was Johnny Lion’s Bad Day, which captured that feeling of time speeding up and slowing down when you’re in bed with a cold and fever all day.
http://www.amazon.com/Johnny-Lions-Bad-Read-Book/dp/0064442969/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top