The Backward Day Book

Imagine your whole day lived backward, from beginning to end. When you got up, you’d put on your jacket, then your shirt and pants, and over those your underwear, because after all, backward is backward, and on a backward day backward is the way everything has to be. You’d walk downstairs backward and sit on your chair backward with your back to the table, and when your parents greeted you in the morning you’d say, of course, “Good night.” But how long can a backward day go on? Just long enough for a smart kid to reverse the spell he’s cast on the whole household and return everything to normal. The Backward Day, a delightfully stylish picture book by the Caldecott Prize–winning team of Marc Simont and Ruth Krauss, brings to life a humorous and engaging reversal of ordinary reality that will enchant young children, as well parents.

Children's Literature

There is something about doing things backwards that brings about the giggles and laughter. A young boy wakes up and declares the day as Backward Day. He proceeds to get dressed starting with his coat, short pants, jacket, and lastly, his underwear. With underwear stretched over the clothing as outerwear, the youngster heads to the dining room for breakfast. Continuing in a reversed fashion, he goes downstairs backwards with socks over his shoes. While sitting at his father's chair facing away from the breakfast table, the boy places his napkin on backwards and greets his family with goodnights. The family members return his salutations of goodnight. Although the father, mother, and baby sister are not wearing clothing backwards, they each sit down at the table backwards as if it were just a normal part of the day. Just how far will the boy and his family go? Will Backward Day ever go backwards? The simple illustrations make the unusual day seem like such a normal, natural one for the young boy and his family that they bring laughter and chuckles from readers.