Days Like This (by Simon James)

This is not a collection of the best-known, most acclaimed children's poetry, but in its own way, DAYS LIKE THIS may be something better -- a snapshot of the familiar, captured in simple rhyme and soft-colored sketches, that acts as a reminder of all that is good around us. The poems Simon James illustrates in pen and ink and in watercolor celebrate the ordinary. The poems are, for the most part, told from the child's point of view, and the child's spirit is heard throughout.

One particular piece, "A Lazy Thought," captures the flavor of the entire collection. After naming all the things grown-ups do -- "Hurry, scurry, worry, flurry" -- poet Eve Merriam points out, "No wonder / Grownups / Don't grow up / Any more. / It takes a lot / Of slow / To grow." This book helps children -- and their grown-up counterparts -- slow down and reflect on the simple joys of growing up. It takes a lot of slow to grow, and reading this book was well worth the pause.