The Awesome of the Day really surprised me in the best way possible. It’s one of those stories that sneaks up on you and makes you smile without you even realizing it. The book follows Andrew, a kid who feels like every day is filled with “awful” things—until his sister challenges him to find something “awesome” in each day. It’s such a simple concept, but it works so well, and by the end, I found myself thinking about how I could find the awesome in my own day-to-day life.

What I really love about this book is how relatable it is. We all have those days where nothing seems to go right, and it’s easy to get stuck in that negative mindset. But this book gently encourages kids (and adults) to shift their perspective, even if it’s just by looking for the little things that bring joy. It’s all about seeing the good, and I think that’s a message we could all use more of.

The illustrations are adorable and capture the playful tone of the story perfectly. They bring the characters to life and make it even more enjoyable to read. The colors are bright and cheerful, and they really enhance the overall feel of the book.

I do wish there had been a little more focus on how Andrew shares his newfound “awesome” discoveries with others. It would’ve been nice to see how positivity can spread when you start looking for the good around you. But honestly, that’s just a small detail in an otherwise heartwarming story.

In the end, this is a book I’d definitely recommend. It’s perfect for young readers who need a little encouragement to see the bright side of things, and it’s a great pick for storytime, too. I think it would resonate with kids ages 4–8, but honestly, it’s a great read for anyone who needs a reminder to find the awesome in their own day.

This is a super sweet book. I love that his sister basically told him to stop sweating the small stuff. This book has a wonderful lesson and any parent would be happy to read this to their child. Plus the artwork is beautiful as well.

Really sweet book that incorporates social/emotional learning and reminds us all of the value of gratitude and appreciation.

Andrew is similar to so many young children his age-- they expect their day to be filled with sunshine and happiness and joy so when bad things happen, they become completely upset. children are the wonderful creators of vivid imaginations, and they know exactly how their days are supposed to unfold. If they lose time at recess without being guilty of doing anything wrong, or they do poorly on a science test, or if they have to spend a day with a boring substitute teacher, they simply know that their day was not a pleasant one. However, Andrew happens to be a valuable member of a loving and simply wonderful family-- a family who teaches him that even when things happen that seem disappointing, an entire day can still be turned around in order for good to come of it. As Andrew works diligently to find the good (and even the AWESOME!) in every day, he quickly learns that finding the positive is easier than he originally believed. Perhaps when we focus on the negative it overshadows the positive-- a concept which Andrew discovers quickly. Before long, Andrew in identifying and sharing all of the wonderful, AWESOME, incidents that he happened to find within the course of his days.

Awesome of the Day is a brilliantly illustrated children's picture book that instills important lessons and key values such as focusing on the positives and treasuring ordinary concepts such as friendship, family togetherness, excelling in school, and team dynamics in after school activities.

I read Awesome of the Day with my niece, and we both enjoyed its uplifting message! This story beautifully teaches kids that while some days may be tough, they can still find something awesome in each one. The artwork was engaging, the lesson was relatable, and the length was just right for young readers. A great read with an encouraging perspective!

Thanks, NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this!

This is a good book to help kids focus on the AWESOME parts of their days instead of the AWFUL parts of their days. Even when everything seems AWFUL, there can be some AWESOME in it.

This children’s book is an excellent read for kiddos who may be struggling to see the brighter side of life. This book encourages readers to not just look at all the things that went wrong during the day, but to look for the awesome things that are mixed in. I appreciated that they didn’t sugar coat that awful things will still happen- but that they don’t have to be our soul focus. There was an emphasis on family support as well. I loved the colorful illustrations and that people of all skin tones were represented.. As the mama to a young pessimist, I am thankful for books, such as this that help encourage him to look to the bright side.

‘Awesome of the Day’ is an adorable yet informative children’s book. Andrew has a habit for only noticing the not-so-fun aspects of life — bad grades at school, skinned knees, and challenges with his friends. With a little help, he is introduced to a different way of thinking. What would happen if he acknowledged the positive too? This book is a great introduction to mindfulness for children and helps them recognize that bad doesn’t outweigh the good. Really positive message throughout. In addition to the story, the illustrations were fantastic — my nephew and I enjoyed this book very much!

Andrew was having an awful day-after day-after day. Then his sister challenged him to find at least one awesome thing that happened to him each day. Slowly, he starts seeing more awesome things instead of awful things. Then a truly awful day happened to Andrew, but Andrew realized that his family was the most awesome thing of all.

Great message! I think this will encourage kids to start seeing the good in their day. I think even grown-ups could use this message too! I can’t wait to share this one with my first graders!

This poor kid just can't get a break! Ha, just kidding (but seriously though, you feel bad for the guy). I do think that the repeated awfulness of Andrew's days was a bit over-the-top, but it served its purpose of setting up the core message of the story. Speaking of the message, it was well-executed and very heartwarming! This book definitely teaches kids that not everything is going to be cupcakes and rainbows 24/7, but you can find the good buried underneath all of the bad. Andrew sets a great example for young readers to mirror in their own lives. Additionally, I believe that the message that the author chose is highly important - especially in today's world. I give major kudos to the author for equipping little ones with a skill that will help them immensely over time. Lastly, the illustrations were done beautifully, and I especially adored how the illustrator played with light and depth, which is highly impressive! Bravo!!

This was a sweet book with a great message about looking for the positives, but also knowing that sometimes those are hard to find, and it is okay to have a bad day. This would be a great book to read to a kiddo who might be having some hard days.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Oh I LOVE this book! I can't believe I have to wait until the fall to obtain a copy but I know it will be one of the first books I read with my new students at the start of the school year. We all have bad days and sometimes the bad can be so overwhelming that it is all that we see. But there truly is awesome in every day. And on days when it doesn't seem like there - because bad days do happen, just having a support system that cares is awesome enough. The illustrations are beautiful and vibrant, the story is simple enough for young kids to understand but with enough depth that older kids will also appreciate it.

Netgalley ARC - an optimistic picture book that encourages us to find something (even if its small) that was awesome each day. Perhaps heavy handed but still cute and hopeful.

Ellen, this is SUCH a fun book! My four kids and I absolutely cherished each page. The characters were so fun and the concept of the story was wonderfully done. The pictures were great! Just an all around wonderful kids book.

A delightfully heartwarming story, to encourage a positive mindset.

When Andrew feels like everything is awful, his older sister encourages him to find an awesome each day. Andrew slowly focuses less on the awful things of the day and starts to see things a little differently.

The colourful and whimsical illustrations by Bhagya Madanasinghe, add to the beauty of this delightful story.

My children have enjoyed reading this story together many times and like to discuss awesome things throughout their day too.

With thanks to Two Lions and NetGalley for this e-ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

This book would be a delightful gift for children of all ages, to share the delight in each day.

This book will be an amazing addition to our elementary library. With all the negativity in the world it is nice to have a book to show kids how they can find the positive things everyday. Such an important lesson for us all.

This book introduces the concept of a daily gratitude for kids—a great way to remind them that even on tough days, there’s always something to be grateful for. I love how it uses the casual language of awesome vs. awful—a clever way to connect with young readers. The illustrations are engaging, and while it feels a bit mature for my 2.5-year-old, I think she’ll enjoy it/I'd feel comfortable reading it with her in a few years.

My only complaint is that the book describes brussels sprouts for dinner as being awful. And I do get it... but so many kids struggle with picky eating and even disordered eating. In my house, we’re very mindful about how we talk about food. I wish children’s books reflected that, too.

Great book for kids to encourage positive thinking. It's so important to support every child well being. I loved it. My daughter loved it. We will definitely re read together again

There is so much awesome in this book. It is a great book to help students process big emotions. I am trying to teach my kids to look for the good. This book helps reinforce that. The illustrations are fantastic.

I will absolutely buy this and read this to my class! My “awesome” of the day is such a great idea. I would love to add this to my daily or weekly routine at school, and even with my own kids at home. The illustrations would hook my students and they would also love reading this in the classroom library.