The First Day

Henrique Coser Moreira

We all remember those days when we had to stay locked inside our homes (no use to remember why). Those days weren’t easy, and, soon enough, all we wanted was the world back: the streets, the parks, the swings, our friends, our grandparents. One day, better news came our way and it felt really good to start again: to put on our shoes and go back out there for new adventures! This book is to remind us of that first day, the day of the first return. So that we never forget. So that we celebrate!

A silent graphic novel for little readers.

Winner of the 4th edition of the SERPA/ Planeta Tangerina International Award for Picture Books, with the motivation: “The author approached the theme exceptionally, exploring and turning the moment of leaving home into something naive and magical, with humour while paying attention to the details.”

Press voices

“Like Alice in Wonderland, she travels the path through it, delighting in the wildlife and pausing to dance to the music of a cricket. A book that is perfect in its simplicity and scope, this allows young children to pore over the pages and older ones to venture into a graphic-novel format in a refreshing, accessible way.” School Library Journal STARRED REVIEW

“Clean black lines and the vibrant, largely primary-color palette lend a charming simplicity to Moreira’s bold, nostalgic art. The newness of this day and the sheer delight that the child enjoys during each moment of unfettered exploration is infectious. Moreira sustains a slightly fantastical child-centered focus—adults play purely functional roles here. (…) readers will sense the opportunities waiting just outside their own doors. A joyous adventure, bright and brimming with exuberance.” Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

“The protagonist’s boundless energy propels the story: in one early spread, she’s so eager to get outside that her body flies headlong toward the door—readers see her from a side view—only to be halted by a parent who reminds her to put on her shoes. It is playful and exceptionally funny moments like this that make the story sing; many preschoolers will relate. A breath of fresh air, in more ways than one.” The Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW & included in their best of the year 2024 list.

“Moreira’s deceptively simple art is expressive, relying less on detail than on shape, line, and movement to evoke the fantastical experience of a beautiful day outside. A quirky and buoyant romp through spring.” Kirkus Review

“The First Day is a silent, sensitive, delicate and imaginative comic book aimed at smaller readers, helping them to celebrate the first day back in so-called normal life, after a long time away.” Julia Martins, Deus Me Livro

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