One+Fine+Day

=// **One Fine Day** - // Nonny Hogrogian = Elementary Literature Review #1 by Julia Evola




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Winner of the 1972 Caldecott Medal for Most Distinguished Picture Book

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Nonny Hogrogian was born into an artistically inclined Armenian family in the Bronx, New York on May 7, 1932. She attended several art schools, such as Hunter College, The Art Students League, and The New School. She was an art major and studied different art forms such as life drawing and wood cutting. Hogrogian won two Caldecott Medals, first in 1966 for //Always Room for One More//, and then again in 1972 for //One Fine Day//. In 1971, she married David Kherdian, a novelist who was a Newbery Honor winner in 1971. They have since founded Two Rivers Press, their publishing company. Hograrian has written other books since then, and currently has three books in the works.



This retelling of an Armenian folktale tells the story of a fox who has gotten thirsty from his forest journey, and makes the mistake of drinking the milk that belonged to the old woman. In her anger she cuts off his tail, and in order to get it sewed back on, he must find her more milk. The fox sets out and asks a cow for milk, but the cow wants grass in exchange for the milk. The fox asks the field for grass, but the field wants water in exchange for the grass. The fox then asks a stream for some water, and the stream wants a jug. The fox asks a fair maiden for her jug, but she wants a blue bead in exchange for it. The fox comes across a peddler and asks for a blue bead, but the peddler is not tricked and wants one egg in exchange. The fox asks a hen for one egg, but she requires grain for her egg. In desperation, the fox asks the miller for grain, and because he is a kind man, he gives the fox the grain. The fox makes his way through all the different trades by retracing his steps and ultimately the old woman sews his tail back on before he goes back to the other side of the forest.
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This award-winning picture book is beautiful illustrated and perfect for children from kindergarten to third grade. It is an intricately detailed retelling of a classic Armenian folktale about bartering, and although it has a questionable message of bartering, children will certainly enjoy the imagery of the foxes journey. It is questionable because it implies that in order to give someone something you must receive something in return. Although this is realistic, it may not be the best thing for children to be learning. However, the kind miller at the end of the story shows that there is humanity and empathy in the world because he agrees to give the fox what he desires. The illustrations flow very well from page to page so the transitions are smooth, and the colors are vivid and evoke a late-summer feel with the dark greens and the warm orange fox in every picture. Overall, I enjoyed the story and thought the pictures created the perfect attraction for children, and liked that it was a folktale from a culture that is generally unrepresented in literature.
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The Fox says that this book is an effective and beautiful piece of cultural children's literature!

I really thought that the journey element of this story was effective because it shows children that sometimes you have to work hard to fix your mistakes. The fox was greedy and did not take the time to consider whose milk he was drinking, and as a result he was punished. However, in the end he redeemed himself and was able to rejoin his friends. Making mistakes is a part of life and we can learn from them, and //One Fine Day// helps the reader see this. The pictures helped emphasize the journey and the foxes frustrations by the end, and I think they were essential to understanding the fox as a character.
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