The Day I Ran Away is a spirited yet soothing story for days when you feel like running away, and a sweet reminder that home is where the hugs (and cookies) are.While Dad tucks her in, a little girl named Grace calmly recounts her day which was anything but calm. She had a tantrum (because of some injustices involving a purple shirt and breakfast cereal), was banished to her bedroom (i.e., sent to time out), had her markers confiscated by Mom (for trying to turn her white shirt purple), and decided to run away.Grace continues to tell Dad the details: how Mom told Grace she d miss her, and packed her lunch to-go, how Grace dragged her toy-laden wagon down to the curb, only to realize she s not allowed to cross the street, and how Mom suggested that Grace run away to the pop-up tent in the yard. Which she did until she calmed down and decided to come home for dinner.Understanding that kids have ups and downs, this mom wisely and sympathetically gave her daughter the space and time she needed to reach her own decision to return home to open arms.
Grace never went far, but felt as if she did.Parallel to the unfolding wordless daytime drama, Dad actively listens to Grace in the nighttime scenes. This doting dad knows his daughter s favorite color and favorite cereal, and adds some silliness to their conversation. He sympathizes with Grace while helping her recognize that Mom was quite fair, and that Grace s own actions and reactions shaped the day she ran away. Just before she falls asleep, Grace tells Dad that they ll ALL be running away tomorrow. In the final scene, the family enjoys a picnic together in the yard. The Day I Ran Away amusingly captures Grace s mutable moods and child-like logic, making her a character readers care about and can relate to. Warm, humorous digital paintings offer fun details to keep little listeners busy.
Kids can compare the bedtime and daytime scenes, and try to figure out how Grace got that purple paw-pint on her cheek and when it got washed away. They can mimic Grace s facial expressions, or copy her poses for some soothing bedtime yoga. And of course, they can create a safe place to run away to when the injustices of Pre-K existence become too much to bear. A pop-up tent in the yard and the haven beneath the dining room table are excellent run-away destinations, as long as you come home for dinner.".