Just Another Morning
Written by Linda Ashman, Illustrated by Claudio Munoz.
HarperCollins, 2004. 0060290536.
Reviews & Honors
Colorado Book Award for Children’s Literature
“From the moment our mischievous narrator wakes up, we are swept along with his creative imagination. —We want to join the fun.” —Children’s Literature
“Ashman captures the non-stop action in rollicking rhyme. Even children well aware of the pleasures of Pretend will trail along admiringly in the wake of this very young Indiana Jones.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The rhyming, circular story never misses a beat. . . .Well suited for storytime, this spirited tale will stimulate imaginations and encourage make-believe play.” —School Library Journal
“Ashman’s tongue-in-cheek picture book portrays the ordinary world through the eyes of a rambunctious youngster.” —Publishers Weekly
About this Story
The day begins as many do:
I find myself inside a zoo.
I’m cornered by a savage ape —
I growl and make a quick escape.
I pass the place where giants sleep,
Descend a mountain long and steep.
Behind a door, I find a feast,
And share it with a hairy beast.
This is the story of our son, Jackson, at age 3 in our Los Angeles home. Jackson has a very vivid fantasy life, and his days are full of imaginary adventures. Over the years, he’s play-acted being a gardener, firefighter, tornado chaser, pirate, Titanic passenger, “disasterologist” and house cleaner (he was obsessed with vacuum cleaners). Although at age 7, he is more likely to be a pro baseball player or basketball star, the adventures continue!
I love how Claudio Munoz captured the physical movements of a small child, and the energy and impishness of this particular character. I would love to meet him and ask him who his model was, and thank him for so perfectly capturing this little adventurer.