One Sunny Day
by
Yuichi Kimura & Hiroshi Abe
Order:
USA
Can
Kodansha International, 2003 (2003)
Hardcover
Reviewed by Hilary Williamson
I
n the modern fable,
One Stormy Night
, an unlikely friendship developed between a goat and a wolf, natural enemies who met in the dark and so were unable to judge by appearances. Still unknowing, they arranged to meet for a picnic. What will happen? Will the wolf gobble up his new friend? We find out in this sequel,
One Sunny Day
. Hiroshi Abe's bright, cheerful illustrations highlight the underlying tension.
T
he animals laugh merrily as they climb uphill - the goat about befriending the predator he fears most, and the wolf about making '
a date for lunch -
with
lunch!
' They agree that friendship comes first. But then the wolf's packed lunch falls into a deep ravine, and he's torn between his '
large
appetite
' and his new friendship with '
a tender, tasty morsel
'. At the top, the goat eats and naps right beside the ravenous wolf, who's in a terrible dilemma. Will the goat still like him if he only nibbles one ear?
I
n fact each of the animals has '
bad thoughts
' about the other, and fights inner demons. After they take shelter in a cave from a storm that symbolizes their personal turmoil, something happens. I won't tell you what it is - read for yourself - but it all ends with '
one long shadow
' cast by the evening sun down the hillside.
One Sunny Day
makes an excellent vehicle to explore the layers of friendship with kids, and they'll love its suspense and thrills as well.
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