Jammie Day! by Carrie Snyder (review)

Being the middle child of five has its advantages. The big kids are busy being big, the parents are distracted taking care of the littles, so no one notices, for example, when you make a volcano out of your porridge or when you let the cat lick your spoon. As they trudge through the snow, Mom doesn't realize Cliffy has decided to go to school in his favorite pajamas. Neither does the teacher when he gets to class. In fact, the only ones who notice are the kids, who eventually get in on the game too as Cliffy turns Jammie Day into Jammie Month into (maybe) Jammie Year. Regardless of where they stand in the family pecking order, most kids will be quite familiar with the distracted "Oh?" as adult code for "I'm not really listening," and they'll be delighted as Cliffy uses the grownups' ignorance to his gain. There's plenty of PJ goodness to be had: swishing on the floor with the footies, snuggling in the soft flannel with a good book—though the zipper does prove to be a problem when it's potty time. Softly dappled hues (with the exception of Cliffy's bright polka-dotted jammies) and cozy linework handily depict the controlled chaos of family life, with Dad stumbling over a toddler while carrying a tower of laundry and an overhead shot showing the playful unruliness of mealtime (though playful might not be how the adults see it). This would make a diverting read at an evening storytime, or you could pair it with Watkins' Pete With No Pants (BCCB 5/17) for a salute to the kids who like what they like when it comes to apparel.