Published by Templar, 2018.

Raj and the Best Day Ever is a terrific picture book about two tigers, little Raj and his dad. They are spending the day together and have great plans. They make a list of all the exciting things that they are going to do.

However, when they get to the library, Dad looks for his library card and realises that he’s forgotten his wallet. Dad says this means that they won’t quite be able to do all the things they had planned. Raj’s excitement gives way to disappointment and he declares sadly that, “This is going to be the worst day ever.”

However, all is not lost as Raj learns to improvise. Dad shows him how, with a little bit of imagination, they can do all the things they had originally planned. They have lots of fun and it turns out to be a really great day after all. There’s a lovely twist at the end too.

It’s a gorgeous picture book with so much to look at and enjoy. I love the busy street scene and the double page in the crowded park where there’s so much going on in the pictures. Throughout the book, there’s a bold use of colour and a good mixture of full-page, double-page and split-page illustrations. The characters are drawn with fabulous facial expressions giving them heaps of personality. Dad’s rucksack has a cute face too with the zip forming a mouth. It’s fun watching the expression change at different points in the story.

This is a super book about making the best of things. It gently explores how to overcome disappointment and build resilience. It’s a lovely story about the bond between father and son and is a celebration of the fun to be had outdoors.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 2+

Thank you to Templar for sending me this book to review.

The second book in the series, Raj and the Best Holiday Ever, is out now too.