If farm animals and crayons can have labor disputes, why not days of the week? In this amusing spoof of talent competitions by Meltzer (the Ordinary People Change the World series) and Caldecott Medalist Santat, Sunday, tired of being unpaid and unappreciated, quits. While she talks about going off to take up waterskiing and "learn Italian. No, Sanskrit, like the Buddhists," the other days, rendered with the feel of characters from Inside Out, put out an audition call for a replacement. In the chaos that follows, shown in busy comics-style panels, every appreciated possibility, such as DogDay ("Puppies! Dogs! Everyone gets one!"), is accompanied by a slew of rejects, including Big-BurpDay ("Next!"), and increasingly desperate mash-ups ("KnightsWhoseSwordsAreHerringsDay"). But the creators have something more in mind than giving readers a highly inventive tickle. When one of the auditionees offers gratitude to the judges and earnestly suggests "a nice day... when people can show more kindness to each other," Sunday declares herself back in the game, and the weekdays learn to appreciate each other. It's a lovely and apt way to tie a bow on all the preceding silliness, with enough room left over to end on a cat joke. Ages 3--5. (Mar.)

Cartoon characters personifying days of the week are thrown into desperate straits when Sunday, a golden girl with a star in her hair, suddenly quits, saying she's fed up with the heavy expectations put on her. The anxious days try putting up posters all over the land, advertising for replacement candidates who can be "relaxing, tranquil, chill (though not as chill as Saturday)." The days then hold a series of "New Day Auditions," where the presented ideas range from good (a DogDay with puppy giveaways) to bad (WorstVice-PresidentsDay, Shark-Day, Big-BurpDay) to amazing (everyone gets a superpower on FlyDay). The watercolor, colored-pencil, and crayon illustrations by Caldecott medalist Santat intensify the fun and meaning of this romp, with the personified days resembling the characters in Pixar's Inside Out in that they're differently colored, big-headed, and come with embedded clues to their personalities (for example, Saturday is a mellow-looking middle-aged woman whose big sweater has rows of Zs knitted into it). The craziness escalates, with more and more stunts and improbable contestants (like KnightsWhoseWordsAreHerringsDay), until a small act of kindness from a little girl brings Sunday--and order--back, making all the days appreciate each other more.

To the consternation of the other six days of the week, Sunday quits in protest, tired of being unappreciated for her consistent delivery of a weekly "beautiful free day." Sunday's abrupt decision prompts the others to look for her replacement with an advertisement inviting auditions before the remaining six days. The competition quickly grows increasingly fierce as ideas are broached for DogDay, Big-BurpDay, PieDay, Band-AidDay, and, ridiculously, FirepoleSlidingIntoPoolsOfCottonCandyDay. Amid all this boisterous and frenzied rivalry, a little girl approaches the misunderstood Sunday with a small plant to say thank you and to suggest "simply a nice day. A day when people can show more kindness to each other." The child's humble gratitude is enough for Sunday to return to her important weekly position and to prompt all the days to value kindness as the key to each day's possibilities. Bright art captures the mania, with cotton-candy hues representing each of the anthropomorphic days. Though undeniably comical as it unfolds in busy cartoon illustrations and speech balloons, the drawn-out, nonsensical, and unexpected course the narrative takes may be a stretch for youngsters who cannot always distinguish among days. Kindness as the ingredient for achieving a harmonious week is nevertheless a valuable message, however circuitously expressed. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50% of actual size.) A humorous, meandering approach to a life lesson about leading every day with benevolence. (Picture book. 5-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 3--5--Every week progresses the same way--Sunday moves through Saturday and circles back again--and it is easy to take the routine for granted. Fed up with the lack of appreciation she feels in her job, Sunday announces that she is quitting! The other days are aghast, but they ultimately follow Monday's lead and move to seek out a new day to take Sunday's place. An audition process begins, inviting submissions from all over; some ideas are terrible, others are fine, but none feel quite right. That is, until one final prospect brings a sentiment to the table that changes Sunday's outlook for the better. Santat's iconic style launches these antics in vivid, expressive illustrations; his pages are saturated with color and, with the funny word-bubble text, give this a graphic novel feel. Myriad characters are used to tell the story, enhancing the silly and chaotic plot. The characters vary somewhat in appearance, in pale tones to technicolor ones. The length of text and subject matter are best suited to older elementary readers and will have them chuckling from beginning to end. Occasional rhymes provide a sing-song quality that appears at choice moments in the vibrant narrative. Enjoyably executed, this story emphasizes the importance of kindness in a world that sometimes forgets. VERDICT This is a dynamic and engaging addition to libraries for young readers.--Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver P.L.