RAJ AND THE BEST DAY EVER!

Raj, pictured as a tiger cub, plans an adventure-filled day out with his dad.

“Today is going to be the BEST DAY EVER!” he tells readers, as he and his dad make a long list of all the things Raj wants to do. They walk to the library—the first item on their list—where Raj chooses his favorite book. But when they go to check the book out, Dad realizes that he’s forgotten to bring his wallet! No wallet means that they can’t do all the things on the list, and Raj is disappointed. When it begins to rain, Raj is convinced that it is going to be the “WORST DAY EVER,” until he gets an idea that might improve it. Father and son go on to modify Raj’s list to make their own entertainment—for instance, having a picnic instead of going to the cafe—to compensate for the forgotten wallet. All the characters are represented as animals, and Braun’s simple narrative and bright, colorful illustrations reinforce the happy-go-lucky theme of the picture book. Despite the protagonist’s stereotypical Indian name and depiction as a tiger, the picture book is very Western in its representations (from the clothes the characters wear to the foods they eat).

An endearing picture book about the relationship between father and son.