This book is gentle, but accurately teaches kids that lockdown drills and school violence can be scary, while still equipping readers with a few ideas of some coping skills. Even though the central topic of this book is tragic, I believe that the author did a stellar job of conveying to readers that there is still good out there. This message is more important now than ever, and I am glad that this book was written. Kudos to the illustrator as well for intertwining emotions and natural beauty in the illustrations, it fit the story perfectly. Lastly, I know for sure that kids will be able to find hope and comfort within the pages of this book, even when the looming issue of violence in schools is present.
Bravo!

One Thursday Afternoon by Barbara DiLorenzo is a tender, heartfelt exploration of how children process fear in an uncertain world. When young Ava struggles with the aftermath of a school lockdown drill, her Granddad’s quiet presence and creativity help her find comfort. DiLorenzo's storytelling is gentle yet powerful, skillfully capturing Ava’s anxiety and showing how meaningful it can be for a child to have a safe, supportive adult nearby. The moments Granddad and Ava share—painting, talking, and simply being together—reveal the healing power of patience and companionship.
The illustrations are soft and warm, matching the story’s tone perfectly, and the author’s note adds valuable context for adults on how to support children through fears. Some readers might wish for a bit more dialogue to dive deeper into Ava’s feelings, but the book’s simplicity is also its strength. Overall, One Thursday Afternoon is a sensitive, beautifully illustrated story, offering a hopeful message for young readers and adults alike. Four stars!

This gorgeous picture book introduces the idea of "being alone together." On a Thursday afternoon, after a bad day, Granddad picks Ava up for a picnic with paints. It turns out that Ava had a bad day because the lockdown drill at school made her feel that her classroom is no longer a safe place.

This book is based on the author experiencing a lockdown during an author visit to an elementary school. Many parents and community members who do not work in education have not experienced the levels of lockdown drills that we experience in elementary schools today. They are terrifying, even when we know they are scheduled. I think of a lockdown my school went into shortly after Uvalde. The fifth-graders I taught were in tears. We silently passed my phone around and sent texts to parents. In the end, that lockdown was triggered because the nearby police station forgot to inform the school of a training exercise and the gunshot sounds put us into lockdown. Every child has this experience now.

This book is important because it shows that it is okay to feel scared, to need to process emotions. The use of all the sense in painting is an excellent way to encourage children to process their feelings. It is also important that students see that talking or being in quiet nature can help.

Thank you to Barbara DiLorenzo for writing this excellent book. Thank you to Net Galley and Flyaway Books for the eARC!

I share the author's sentiment that a book like this should not be necessary. Unfortunately, it is. This book creates a moving portrait of the fear, grief, and confusion that American school children now face with the prospect of active shooters. I appreciated the subtly of the storytelling because it will allow parents and educators to explore the topic with the littles without inducing too much anxiety. I also LOVE that the main character uses art as therapy! The illustrations are as beautiful as the message of resilience. 5 stars

What I loved most about this book is the special bond between a young girl and her grandfather. Flustered by a bad day at school, her grandfather listened and offered words of encouragement to make the situation better.

Is it me, or are these children's books getting better and better?

How do we even explain this to kids? I used to work in special needs classrooms and we had to have lockdowns. The kids knew we had to hide, but a lot of them didn't understand what we were hiding from. It can be overwhelming to think that there are people who would hurt children at school. This sweet little picture book helps deal with those emotions. Yes, it's scary, but the world is still beautiful. Ava finds quiet and comfort with her grandfather, who lets he feel what she is feeling.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

It is frightening to realize that children now have lockdown drills with the same frequency as fire drills, and tornado drills. I love that the author has written about a tough topic, validated the feelings of the child in the story (much as we need to validate the feelings of our children in the classrooms, or libraries), and offered a reminder to listen. The art is lovely, and while I feel there are moments that are awkward, I love that they are there--- many difficult conversations are awkward.

Thank you Netgalley and flyaway books for this amazing ARC in exchange of an honest review.

This is a sweet story of a girl Ava and her grand-dad. It's totally adorable and the illustrations are so pretty and pleasant to the eyes and the language is so easy to grasp for younger kids.

Sometimes you feel low and the best you can do is spending sometime with your loved ones or just spending it alone or outdoors. Anything that makes you feel better. The world is scary but it's beautiful too. It helps to remember that.

Highly recommend this beautiful book.

My daughter really enjoyed this book. As a mom I loved how it teaches kids to use their senses to work through their sadness and anxieties. Really fantastic read for small children.

I loved how realistic this book is for kids! It shows them that it’s okay to have feelings towards the drills. They’re scary! It’s okay to talk to parents, grandparents about feelings

Beautiful story with great illustrations to accompany it! Definitely will add to my bookshelves. The emotions are so real and I think a lot of kids will be able to relate.

One Thursday afternoon when Grandad picks up Ava from school she is quiet and upset. It turns out her school has a lockdown drill that day and hours after, she is still feeling anxious and afraid. As a teacher, I appreciate this book's openness about the trauma such drill cause for students, and teachers. Our world is a scary place sometimes, but the author, through Grandad, reminds us that it also a beautiful place. Grandad offers Ava the listening non-judgmental ear she needs as she processes the events of her day. Highly recommend for school libraries and schools as a read aloud when mandatory drill time approaches to let children know that they can talk to the adults about their fears and anxieties.

One Thursday Afternoon was such a touching book. I had to sit with my thoughts and emotions after reading it several times, because there's a lot to unpack here. Here's what I will say after much reflection:

This book is lovely, necessary, and touching. Ava's emotions after a lockdown drill are valid, relevant, and important to discuss, especially if you have small children of your own. This book made that seem like a slightly easier task (let's be honest - it's never going to be easy), and I appreciated having another tool in my belt for such difficult conversations. Ava's grandfather was a wonderful example of how adults can comfort and guide children through these tough issues and hard emotions, and I was thankful for that, as well.

School shootings and lockdown drills are hard topics to discuss with our children, but they are necessary. One Thursday Afternoon is a sweet, gentle book that I believe is a great resource for parents and kids alike. The material was handled well, and with sensitivity.

One Thursday Afternoon is a book with a couple of very different messages. Granddad goes to pick Ava up from school one afternoon and notices that she seems upset about something. Rather than pry, he goes about normal activities. They have a picnic by the water and then he gets out their painting supplies. Eventually she opens up about what is upsetting her. They had a lockdown at their school that day and she is frightened. What if something happens? Granddad lets her talk and share her feelings and he listens and validates them. He shares things from his life and lets her know that yes, there are scary things in the world, but that it is also beautiful and he will always be there for her. Once again, I enjoy sharing multi-cultural stories with my grandchildren. I enjoyed seeing the relationship Ava and her granddad have. I was a bit reluctant to share the lockdown part of the story, especially with all the school shootings that have happened over the last year, but is is a real part of life. We talked about the various drills they have at school. One thing that came out was how they didn't take them seriously as they had "drills" all the time. We discussed that you never know when it will be real and not just a drill so to always take them seriously. The illustrations added much to the story. They showed emotions as well as the beauty in the world. A great book for teachers to share with their students at the beginning of the school year, before they begin to have drills. I liked the things the author shared about what to do when your child is afraid of something. Too many people try to fluff it off and tell them they have nothing to be afraid of. Eventually they will stop sharing if their feelings aren't validated.

This insightful story emphasizes the importance of spending quality time together to conquer fears. The book also includes an author's note on its real-life inspiration and provides recommendations for adults to assist children in overcoming fear.

Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC ❤️

Oh how I love this book! It made me miss my maternal grandfather all over again. I miss how he could take away my worries. I miss our silent conversations. Everybody, especially the kids went through a very difficult time during the pandemic. Though the situation is better now, those traumatic experiences will linger in their mind. Given the circumstances, it's important that we give them space to embrace their emotions while quietly being supportive and letting them feel the support. So that they know they will be safe if they ever need to let go and vent out their fears, frustrations and anxiety. Highly recommended!

One Thursday Afternoon is a very real look at the trauma and anxiety our kids can feel when things go wrong. This particular story is about a lockdown at school, and Ava is upset with the realization that not all places are safe 100% of the time. When Grandpa picks her up from school, he gives her space to be with her thoughts, but he is patient and waiting for her to open up about her feelings.

They go into the woods to paint, and grandpa reminds Ava of the beauty around them. When she stops and uses all her senses to experience the beauty around her, she finally opens up to grandpa about the lockdown drill at school and how it made her feel. He reminds her that the world is beautiful. There are times where it's not safe, but we need to look at the beauty in the world, too. He validates her feelings and makes her feel loved.

Wonderful book for kids that should be in school classrooms everywhere!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advanced review copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review on the book!

It is sad that a book like this even needs to be written. I hate that there are kids that now have to live in fear at the prospect of school shootings. That being said, this novel did a great way of handling the subject. It was tasteful and highlighted the realities of what children now have to experience.

**Thank you to NetGalley and Flyaway Books for this e-copy in exchange for an honest review**

Ava had a bad day at school because she was scared during the lockdown drill they had. It's no wonder - school shootings are becoming more and more frequent these days. Knowing what to do is very important.

Her grandfather comforted her. He listened, and didn't dismiss her anxiety and fear. Instead, he encouraged her to take in the world around her with all her senses, and to see the beauty in it.

Inspired by the author experiencing an actual lockdown in schools, this is an endearing story that highlights some of the simplest yet often most effective ways we can help ease fear and anxieties in young children.

A perfect choice for an Early Years classroom teacher to read aloud and invite conversations and ease anxiety around lockdowns and other safety protocols in schools.