Today We Have No Plans

By Jane Godwin and Anna Walker, Penguin Viking, 2012.

‘A busy week, a slower day
Brings time to dream and time to play.’

Wow! This book reminded me of a day in the life of my niece, my friends’ kids, my cousins’ kids, basically all kids today! Children these days are so busy with their extracurricular activities, that rest days are gold. Today We Have No Plans is like reading a child’s Google Calendar! As the week progresses, the kids get rattier, the mum gets crankier, and everyone is ready for a rest.

‘On Mondays as the sun comes up
My clock gives me a fright…’

But then…

…on Sunday morning, a little girl opens her curtains and looks at a solitary tree in her garden. There is a sense of calm when we reach this page. The ‘clocks seem to slow their hands’, and all the family sit around in their pjs, play games and relax. They’re not going out today! While kids love all of their extracurricular activities, they also enjoy their downtime. Sunday offers us the time to slow down and notice the little things, like glue and felt, and plants and creatures, shiny little things.

The illustrations beautifully capture the frenzy of the busy week, and then the calm that Sunday brings. The hardcover version of this book feels padded and soft like a pillow.

If you enjoyed Today We Have No Plans, I’m sure you will also love All Through the Year, where the same family is depicted throughout.

Awards

Shortlisted: Australian Book Industry Awards, Book of the Year for Younger Children, 2013.
Shortlisted: Prime Minister’s Literary Award, Children’s Fiction, 2013.
Shortlisted: Queensland Literary Awards, Children’s Book, 2013.
Shortlisted: Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards, Young Children, 2013.
Notable Book: CBCA Book of the Year Awards, Early Childhood, 2013.