Playground Day
ISBN-13: 978-0-618-81696-5
ISBN-10: 0-618-81696-8
Publisher: Clarion Books (pub. date September 17, 2007)
Reading level: Ages 3 – 6
Hardcover: 32 pages

Intricate and charming collage illustrations crafted from torn and cut paper shine in this exuberant celebration of imagination and creative play. When a young girl packs her stuffed animals into her wagon and heads off to the park, she is inspired by both her toys and the playground equipment.  Soon she is hiding like a squirrel, climbing like a monkey, sliding like a penguin, and so on – all relayed in catchy rhymed couplets. Each page offers clues to a friendly preschool guessing game and captures the unique pleasures of a day spent at the playground.

Merz offers a celebratory ode to the splendor of playgrounds, her verses taking readers on an exploration of a child’s imagination. Sprightly rhymes draw a tidy parallel between how the child’s play mirrors familiar activities of various animals: spraying in a water fountain like an elephant, swinging like a monkey, etc. Using a collage of cut and torn papers, Merz artfully creates full-color illustrations that offer readers intriguing panoramas filled with depth and texture. The format of the pages is such that the pictures and verses depict and describe the child’s play, with the following page showing the true critters in their natural habitats. Thus, a child in a play tunnel is compared to squirrels in their tree-trunk home. Appealing illustrations and lively verse make this tale particularly suited for rousing read-aloud sessions. In an era of elaborate schedules for the youngest of children, Merz’s simply executed tale is a reminder to return to the basics, encouraging readers to unfetter their imaginations and embrace the creative opportunities unstructured outdoor play affords. (Kirkus Reviews August 15, 2007)