My Fourth of July - by Jerry Spinelli (Hardcover)

About the Book

A young boy and his family celebrate his favorite day, Independence Day, by seeing a parade, having a picnic, watching a talent show, and enjoying fireworks.

Book Synopsis

Picnics! Singing! Fireworks! It's time to celebrate the best day of all--the Fourth of July!

Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli and award-winning illustrator Larry Day join forces to celebrate America's birthday, the Fourth of July.

A responsible little boy who's eager to do his part wakes up joyful and ready to celebrate his favorite day of all. But there's a lot of work to do--pies to be baked, deviled eggs to be filled--and the boy has lots of jobs to complete before he can enjoy the fun . . . the world's best picnic! Face painting! A band concert!

And then, after what seems like the longest wait ever . . . he can kick back and enjoy the fireworks with the rest of the country.

This delicious and spirited book celebrates small town America and is full of nostalgia for times gone by, yet absolutely of the moment.

Review Quotes

"An exuberant, old-time-y celebration of the Fourth of July." --Kirkus Reviews

"It's hard to imagine a more joyous, kid-friendly celebration of the fabulous fourth than this. . . . the exuberant text and the pencil, ink, watercolor, and gouache artwork, full of movement and delight, will encourage kids to find out what's happening in their local celebrations." --Booklist

"Day's slice-of-life watercolors effortlessly shift focus from the boy to big crowd scenes and back again, always capturing the joy that comes from being both footloose and part of something bigger." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Jerry Spinelli is a Newbery Medal winning author of many children's books. Among his best-known titles are Maniac Magee (Newbery Medal), Stargirl, Milkweed, and Wringer (Newbery Honor). His most recent title The Warden's Daughter was published in 2017 and received a starred review from Kirkus. Jerry lives in Pennsylvania with his wife, poet and author Eileen Spinelli.

Larry Day is an award-winning illustrator, whose recent titles include Voice of the Underground Railroad, Nice Work, Franklin!, and Lion Lion. He is the recipient of three Gold medals from the Society of Illustrators, and the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Not Afraid of Dogs. He lives in Illinois.