Monday is One Day (or a book review that turned into a book launch)

It’s hard to say good-bye on Monday morning when the busy week starts. But one by one, the days roll by. In this love note from a working parent to a child, the days of the week are counted – each one with a special opportunity to spend cherished moments together. (Book Synopsis)

While shopping for discounted books on the Dear Books site, I spotted Arthur Levine’s storybook Monday is One Day. It caught my attention because we started teaching our three-year-old son the days of the week. When the book arrived, I was pleasantly surprised with the images and moments captured in this simple storybook – truly a love letter that any working parent would want to give to a child.

Each day in Arthur Levine’s imagination reflects the mundane and quiet moments of family life. Each day also holds a promise of sweet reunions as the workday ends.

Arthur Levine’s Monday is One Day also features different kinds of families.

As a working mom, the images were bittersweet to me. A part of me longed for the old routine of hellos and goodbyes coupled with flying kisses and big hugs. It’s been seven months since my husband and I started working from home. It’s also been seven months of struggling to find a routine that allows both of us to work, our son to attend classes, do chores, and to live as calmly as we can during this pandemic.

As the days started to become a blur, I found myself starting to feel frustrated – why couldn’t our son settle into a routine? One day, I found myself sitting quietly in prayer, when I realized – We’ve been working too hard to find a routine for our child who probably does not see the world or experience it in the same way that we do. That realization, to me, was a blessing.

And as we (my husband and I) spent more time reimagining how to live our lives in such a way that my son understood, we found ourselves giving birth to another baby. Not quite the sibling that my son imagines – but our own storybook inspired by Arthur Levine’s work. Consider it our own love note to our son and to all adults struggling with parenthood these days.

Click the image below to read the story. 🙂

Monday is One Day by Arthur Levine may be purchased online from the Dear Books site.