FICTION

What a Day..: A Story in Emoji

illus. by Marcus Pfister. 32p. Minedition. Apr. 2018. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9789888341238.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—In this wordless picture book, emojis relay the inner thoughts and feelings of Raven, the protagonist. The black bird enters the forest in a funk and bumps his head on a tree trunk. His ensuing bandaged beak makes him even more irritable (as indicated by a frowning pile of poop). But, when he receives lots of attention from a flock of female birds, his mood changes to a sunny yellow smiley face. A haloed angel and a purple devil compete over Raven's head when he mummifies himself in bandages to garner even more sympathy. Mistaken for trash, the bird is swept up in a wheelbarrow, and the emojis displayed range from surprise to red-faced screaming. After a sudden release, he then encounters a baby bird being fed a worm by its parents. The devilish emoji reappears, suggesting another trick is in the works. However, the final panels abruptly show Raven holding the surprised worm and then feeding it to the baby bird, accompanied by many blissful faces and hearts. Two pages of emoji stickers are included, with the prompt to "change the story—or make a new story of your own."
VERDICT Raven's facial expressions and body language already convey his emotions, so the emojis seem superfluous and distracting. With a thin, confusing story line, this is strictly an additional purchase.

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