A Sick Day for Amos McGee

Bibliography
Stead, Phillip C. A Sick Day for Amos McGee. Ill. By Erin E. Stead. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 978-1-59643-402-8


Plot Summary
A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a heartwarming story about a zoo keeper and his friendships with several animals at the zoo. Amos McGee follows a specific routine every day. He wakes up early, gets dressed, has breakfast, and waits for the bus that drops him off at the zoo. Once at the zoo he visits each of his animal friends and spends time with them doing something he knows they like. One day, Amos McGee does not show up at the zoo. All of his animal friends sit, wait and wonder where Amos is. They finally decide to take the bus and go visit him. They find him at home in bed, sick. Each of the animals then takes a turn doing something that they know Amos enjoys in order to help make him feel better until finally they all say goodnight and go to sleep.


Critical Analysis
The relationship between Amos McGee and each of the individual animals is a great example to readers of how to be a good friend. Amos spends time with each animal, doing something that they like, like playing chess with the elephant and sitting in silence with the shy penguin. The relationship is reciprocated when all of the animals come to visit and spend time with Amos when he does not come to work one day because he is sick. The story teaches the reader the importance of being a good friend and that, despite difference, people can still be friends.


The delicate illustrations of the book also play a large role in the story because they add little touches that are not mentioned in the text. For instance, as the animals trek to Amos McGee's house, the penguin holds a red balloon-a get well present for his friend Amos-that appears several times throughout the book. The rhinoceros with a cold wears a scarf, the penguin wears socks, and the owl wears glasses. All of these fun touches add another layer to the book that would not be present without the illustrations. 


Review Excerpt(s)
Winner of the Caldecott Medal 


Connections
*Lead a discussion on friendship, why it is important, and how to be a good friend. 
*Pair with other books about friendship.