Being on a sudden lockdown is not an easy experience. The fear, the endurance, and the faint hope of surviving is not an easy subject to brought up, or talked about. Being on a school lockdown herself, the author tried to help, with this book, on how to help one who passed through that moment. A moment of quiet, an offer to ease the scare is needed. This book can help you help those in need of comfort after such ordeal, or simply give them this book to know that someone too faced the same fear.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this title for review.

This is a beautiful and emotional picture book for children about dealing with realistic topics and receiving comfort and assurance from family.
The basic summary is that it's a story about one Thursday afternoon when Ava is picked up by her grandfather from school for a picnic and an art lesson Ava talks about her feelings about the lockdown drill they had at school and the anxiety she has around it. They book deals with this topic wonderfully.
However I am a Canadian and we do not have lockdown drills, and that is the reason why I wouldn't necessarily purchase this book for my library.

This was a unique story. It’s sad that we have to teach our children about lockdowns, but this story does help explain their purpose and let’s kids know it’s okay to have their feelings about the subject.

This is a great book for kids these days. I really liked how grandpa didn’t push for Ava to talk and allowed her the time she needed. This is a great message to kids that they are allowed quiet time to think and it is safe to come to an adult when ready. This validates their feelings. I will be purchasing this book!

This is a great book to help students navigate big feelings. I love that children can see that even though scary things can happen we can still find beauty. I also really loved that her grandfather didn't push her to talk, she was able to come to her own conclusions about what had happened at school.

We live in a world where we have to unfortunately have these conversations with your kids about bad people. It can be a hard conversation to have and difficult to start. This book can/will make the talk a little easier.

Ava is sad whenever her granddad picks her up from school and doesn’t wanna go on a picnic.

She had a bad day at school and wanted to be alone, but her granddad knew that she didn’t need to be alone.

Ava had to do a lockdown drill at school that made her sad and scared. Her granddad comforted her and told her that “even though the world is scary, it’s also a beautiful place.”


As a parent, it’s our job to listen to kids, and talk to them about things that scare them, while also comforting them. I loved how her granddad comforted her with his words and hugged her. Hugs and showing a person you love them simply by being there for them is simply beautiful.
Listen and answer with love.

First of all, I think the existence of this book is important, and I doubt there are many like it, so I appreciate the author's willingness to address how lockdown drills affect children in school. In her author's note at the end, DiLorenzo's empathy shines through as she reflects on the reason for writing this book.

One Thursday Afternoon follows the story of Ava, a young girl who's just experienced the fear and disorientation of a lockdown at school and struggles to grapple with these emotions as she spends the afternoon with her grandpa at the park.

Let's start with what the book does well:
- The setting felt like the right choice. Illustrated in soothing shades of green and orange, it felt like exactly the kind of environment that offers safety for processing emotions.
- The grandpa exhibits humility in admitting that he doesn't know exactly what Ava is going through but offers his presence and support instead. In reading this to children and grandchildren, parents and guardians can be invited to embrace the same level of empathy.

That being said, the implementation of the idea could have been strengthened. Starting at the end of the school day, the book didn't make clear the nature of the context we were dropped into, and we didn't learn until a couple pages in that Ava was upset or why. The illustrated facial expressions hinted at it, but they were too subtle to really get the point across.

Also, the response of saying, "yes, the world is scary, but it's also beautiful" felt unearned, like it didn't acknowledge the complexity of Ava's emotions or the situation. I know children might not be able to comprehend it all, but I do believe they can hold a bit more complexity than was offered.

We had a moment where she began to lean on her painting as a way to release some of the tension, and I would've liked to sit there longer: How can painting, or art in general, or other activities help us see the world as a beautiful place, to make good on that earlier claim?

All in all, I'll reiterate that this is an important book, but I would've liked to see more development of the concept. Still, I'm glad it exists nonetheless.

What a beautifully illustrated, thoughtful book.
Because these drills have been normalized in schools, it is so important to have them reflected in current literature.

Excellent book about active intruder drills. Sad that we live in a world where this is necessary for our students and children, but this book will be such a help.

This was such a thoughtful and nuanced look at the complex problem of school shootings and the trauma of the most routine lockdown drills. I also appreciated the intergenerational aspect of this story and the way it helps show caregivers how they might hold space for their children. We've added this to our library collection and immediately put it on display.

This is a hard topic that should be in discussion more. Students don’t realize that it is okay to feel scared during these drills and this book demonstrates that it’s okay to feel. I would use this for my kids who have trouble during lockdowns because they are scared or nervous.

I volunteer at my son’s library and I’ve had this conversation with the media specialist. This isn’t a conversation anyone wants to have but unfortunately it’s one we have to have. This book is a wonderful gateway to that hard conversation.

One Thursday Afternoon is such an important book in today's world. I'm in my second year as a teacher and while we haven't done a lockdown yet, I have had students ask questions and I struggle to find the right way to address their questions without shutting them down. I think this book did a great job of addressing students' concerns and feelings about a lockdown without sugarcoating it or being demeaning. I would love to use this in my classroom to help start conversations and help my students.

Beautiful book that delves into fears of a lockdown at school coupled with a grandparent relationship. Book includes information and resources on further discussion in an age appropriate manner.

Every school and public library should have a picturebook on hand that discusses lockdowns in an approachable manner for young children. This is a beautiful book that gently introduces the idea of being scared and sad after a lockdown, but I don't think it goes far enough. It's just enough to introduce the topic and allows caregivers an opening for deeper conversations, but if that caregiver is looking for more direction this isn't the right book.

This is a sweet book to read with a child who is scared of lockdown drills. Ava's grandfather helps her process her feelings. Recommend to parents and to teachers of younger students. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Written with beauty and kindness, this picture book handles gently the fear school children face every day. Lockdown drills are becoming a part of school routine, but how do our kids feel once they realize their classroom is not the safe place they assumed it always would be? Grandad's example of patience and creativity offers a way for caregivers to know that sometimes the best response is just to listen.

One Thursday Afternoon
Barbara DiLorenzo
When Granddad picks Ava up from school one Thursday afternoon, it’s clear that something is troubling her. Grandad has packed a picnic and their paints, but Ava says she had a bad day and just wants to be alone. Grandad does not press her; they sit quietly, alone together. When they begin to paint, Ava opens up to tell her grandfather that she is scared; they had a lockdown drill at school.
This book was conceived after the author experienced a lockdown drill at the school she was visiting. The story is sensitive to the fear and uncertainty Ava feels; Grandpa is patient and understanding and does not minimize her fears, instead telling her about “duck and cover” drills he experienced, and that he too felt afraid - and sometimes still does. His compassion, quiet acceptance, and heartfelt listening reassure Ava that although the world can be a scary place, it is also a warm and beautiful place full of love.
The illustrations are exquisite and perfectly compliment the story; Barbara DiLorenzo has captured the beauty and healing of the nature trail grandfather chooses. The book includes a note from the author/illustrator with suggestions for helping children manage difficult feelings.
I received an advance review copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

First off the illustrations in this book were amazing and well done. I loved them and they really brought the story together. The plot of the story was very creative and an easy read. I liked how it incorporated a tough topic but in a very light way due to dealing with a child. It showed child's response to the situation very well. I wasn't expecting it to be about a lock down drill when the girl mentioned it. I thought this book was well written and would be good for a parent to read to their child.