Choose Your Days

By Paula Wallace

Old Bear gives baby Corky the keys to her days. “Choose your days,” he whispers. “Make them sunny or grey.”

Description

Will little Corky–so quirky and curious–live her life and her dreams to the fullest? When Corky is a baby, Old Bear gives her the keys to her days. As she grows, she lives in wonderment. As her days grow short, she asks Old Bear for a few more days. Old Bear reminds Corky that she holds the key to her days. She must do what needs to be done, and dream what needs to be dreamed. When she is ready, she will not be afraid to open the door to wonder.

About the Creators

Paula Wallace

Paula Wallace is a working artist, maintaining a studio at the Hot Shops Art Center in Omaha, Nebraska. In addition to fine art, Paula has worked as an illustrator and muralist, a curator and an arts facilitator. She has been involved in liturgical and public art, interior design and privately commissioned work. Paula also collaborates regularly with other artists, writers and musicians.

Much of her work as an artist began years ago and likely, truth be told, at the very beginning -- woven into her DNA and nurtured with crayons and love. She studied formally at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa, in addition to a smattering of coursework in Ireland, Chicago, and elsewhere. Her work is held in many private and public collections, both here and abroad.

Reviews

  • * "This is the kind of book that will stick with readers, a meditation that they may not understand now but that, if digested, could have magical results."

    - Kirkus Reviews
  • "Wallace's language and imagery can be both playful and enigmatic--this is a story that challenges readers to think, rather than hitting them over the head with obvious messages and directives."

    - Publishers Weekly
  • "Sparse in both concept and execution, this gentle tale prods readers to make mindful choices and focus on the things that truly matter."

    - Booklist
  • "This is an enchanting picture book with absolutely delightful illustrations. . . . It would be an excellent gift for someone dealing with a personal crisis, surviving a loss, or starting a new chapter in life."

    - Reading Style
  • "It is a tender and hopeful picture book for adults as well as children. . . . Anyone who fears death will find the peaceful and thoughtful message a welcome one."

    - Darlene Beck Jacobson Blog
  • "Choose Your Days is so many good and meaningful things. But most of all, it's a gift."

    - BookDragon by the Smithsonian
  • "A whimsical, philosophical selection."

    - School Library Journal
  • "The ending of Corky's beautiful story comes in spare, poetic words and expressive, sensitive paintings that evoke the lobe of beauty and the transitory nature of life. Together paintings and poetic text tells a mystic tale that is unforgettable."

    - Midwest Book Review
  • "Choose Your Days is a story about finding wonderment and joy. . . . Though simply written, the book is powerful. The illustrations are beautiful and tell a far more complete story than the words alone."

    - Foreword Reviews

Paperback

  • ISBN 9781941026380
  • Publication Date Apr 12, 2016
  • Trim Size 8.5 × 8.5 in
  • Weight 0.3125 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781941026373
  • Publication Date Apr 12, 2016
  • Trim Size 8.5 × 8.5 in
  • Weight 0.6875 lbs
  • Page Count 32
  • Interests

  • Audience Children
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / Girls & Women
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / Bedtime & Dreams
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / Religious / General
  • Themes Coping with Death, Courage, Dreams & Aspirations, Empathy / Compassion, Fiction, Folktale / Folklore / Traditional Literature
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 4 - 8
  • Grade Range Grades PreK - 2
  • Guided Reading O
  • DRA 34
  • Interest Level Grades PreK - 3
  • Reading Level Grades 3 - 4
  • Bebop Reading Fluent
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