The Lost Sunday

Gr 4-6–Nina works every day, Monday through Saturday, forever. There’s always work to be done, nothing is ever fun, and there’s no Sunday. Ever. Nina’s world is dull and twisted, and the wolves of the week are savage, sickly, angry, and harsh. Nina has heard that in the Other World, there is a witch who keeps Sunday captive. Nina goes in search of Sunday to bring it back, and along the way meets more work, but is rewarded for her efforts and learns that taking a bit of extra time each day for fun or relaxation will make the work worth it. Surducan’s story is a whimsical and fresh take on the old fairy-tale tropes about working hard and hardly working—and the balance one needs to strike between the two. The art style is both nostalgic and new at the same time. Color changes between Nina’s world and the Other World is like stepping through the looking glass with Alice. There is also a nice mirror of Nina in the Other World that helps readers understand that the opposite of working all the time is not selfishly doing nothing. Nina has pale skin with dark hair.