Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee's case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it's time they returned the favor.

Although Amos had a lot to do at the zoo, he always made time for his friends.The kind elderly zookeeper demonstrates what good friends are all about in A Sick Day for Amos McGee. I dare anyone to read this book and not fall in love with Amos; he is the quintessential sweet old man who even speaks kindly to his sugar bowl each morning, "A spoonful for my oatmeal, please, and two for my tea." One to two sentences per page keep the story from overwhelming toddlers and allow the pictures to speak for themselves. Each page reveals penciled illustrations with shading and woodblock printing. The grains of wood can be seen in the large shaded area, such as treetops, adding a beautiful texture to the images. The limited coloring in the first half of the book - just two to three colors per page - adds depth and simplicity to the scenes. All of the grey shades set a soft and welcoming mood for the book, but they also align well with Amos' scheduled day. In the second half of the book, when Amos is at home sick and the animals trek over to visit him, the pages fill with color and reflect the change of pace and brightening of Amos' mood.

This book is great for introducing little ones to the golden rule in action. Amos treats the animals as he would like to be treated and the kindness is returned when he falls ill and the animals come to his house to keep him company while he recovers. The story also includes gentle humor that is appropriate for your little one; the penguin wears socks, the night owl is afraid of the dark, and Amos still sleeps with a teddy bear. Encourage your little one to point at the animals and repeat the names after you, or even name them on their own when they are ready.