In Caldecott Honor and Newbery Honor winner dePaola's newest picture book, a young boy awakens and spends his day carefully observing the world around him, expressing his gratitude. He notices the sun, flowers and insects, a bird and a rainbow, people of many colors, and a tree full of oranges. The text is simple but direct: "Open your eyes, / and look. / Open your eyes, / and see, / and say thank you, / for today is today. / Be grateful." DePaola's signature acrylic artwork features simple figures, presented mostly without backgrounds, painted in a muted color palette. A final spread depicts the boy and his sister kneeling in prayer. Although this is unlikely to immediately engage the casual browser, the presentation is beautifully rendered. A useful book on a topic rarely attempted for this age group, this should prove popular with parents and religious-school teachers hoping to encourage this virtue in their young charges.

PreS-K With very simple wording, accompanied by dePaola's signature illustrations, this text reminds young children that every day is a gift for which we should be grateful. The nondenominational lesson does not mention God or any particular religion, although two children are pictured in prayer stance on their knees with heads bowed. The visual story begins on the endpages with a moonlit and starlit night. Darkness fades on the title page. The sun rises outside a window as a sleeping child is directed, "Open your eyes, and look." Observing nature is important as the pictures include plants, animals, and insects, in addition to the children. A spread shows hands of varying skin tones reaching toward one another. The uncluttered pages suit the minimal text and make the book accessible to very young children. VERDICT A gentle message for families, church preschools, and other early childhood programs. Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA