This loving depiction of an African-American family shows what happens when alittle girl accompanies her father to his office and describes the pride theyboth feel at the end of the day. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

PreS-Gr 1 In a rhyming text, an African-American girl tells about spending the day with her father at his office. After she and Daddy ride the subway together, the youngster meets his coworkers, helps him write memos, and holds the posters for a presentation. At midday, they head outside for a bite to eat and a walk through the park. At five o'clock, it's time to call Mom and tell her they are on their way home. Unfortunately, many of the rhymes sound forced, the rhythm is sometimes awkward, and the word choices don't always ring true for the narrator's age. The double-page watercolor illustrations effectively depict the child and her parents, as well as scenes of the city and Daddy's workplace. Boyd portrays the multiethnic cast nicely for the most part, but falls down in his rendering of some of the background characters, who look unfinished, and a laptop that has too many overly raised keys to appear even remotely realistic. While this picture book may fulfill a need in some collections, the uneven writing and artwork prevent it from being more than a marginal purchase. Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

PreS-Gr. 2. In rhyming couplets, a young African American girl describes a day at the office with her dad. After Mom helps her dress and Dad serves breakfast, father and daughter ride the train to a large office building, where the girl assists with memos and meetings and eats lunch from a hotdog stand. The lines sometimes feel forced ("Daddy's chair is noisy. / I hear its squeaky wheels / While he talks on the phone / About contracts and deals"), and, though many kids won't care, Dad's generic office job isn't defined. Still, there are few stories about Take Your Child to Work Day, particularly ones that depict an African American family. Asim's words emphasize the warmth between father and daughter: "You were great today," says Daddy. Boyd's vivid, contemporary watercolors reinforce the family's closeness and the exciting bustle of city and office, and domestic details (decorative masks) celebrate the family's African American heritage. Suggest Kate Banks' The Night Worker (2000) for another child's view of a parent's job. GillianEngberg. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.