Every Monday Mabel

PreS-Gr 2–“Monday is the best day of the week (according to Mabel, at least).” With tan skin, light brown hair in double ponytails, and purpose coursing through her, Mabel gets started on her day, pouring herself a bowl of cereal and heading somewhere to do the “cutest” thing, according to her mother. Mabel takes up her station to wait for the garbage truck. Vehicle buffs will love the next few spreads as the truck’s many moving parts make the most splendid crashes and booms (the typography supports this sequence fully). Her entire family is in on Mabel’s desire and need to get to her post on time; readers glimpse her sister Mira doing “boring” things like listening to music and reading a book and in a charming ending, discover that Mabel is not alone in her fascinations. Awan continues his streak of showing the purposefulness of humans in general and children in particular, through Towed By Toad, I’m Going To Build A Snowman, and other titles. How such simple, expressive illustrations convey the excitement that makes the arrival of a truck more like a Broadway show is a question best left to the artist.