"One Thursday Afternoon" follows a young girl named Ava at the end of the day when her grandpa picks her up from school. Granddad notices that Ava is very quiet and sad, so he takes her to the park where they like to paint. At first, Ava just wants to be left alone, but Granddad gives her space and quiet and eventually she tells him that they had a lock down drill at school that day. Ava discusses her emotions with her grandpa and he reassures her that he will always listen to her.

The lush backgrounds in this picture book are really beautiful and comforting. The discussions between Ava and her grandpa make this book a valuable SEL resource for schools after their own lockdown drills. My one complaint is how the book uses space. Some pages have plain white backgrounds which contrasts with the rich nature scenes on other pages. I could understand if this was used to draw attention to the quiet scenes, or the more emotional pages, but that wasn't necessarily the case. Still, I will be purchasing this book for my library and recommending that teachers use it to discuss post-lockdown drill anxieties with their students.

This story was sadly something that needed to be written. Would recommend it to anyone that has little ones that need to see themselves represented in a time where school shootings happen more often than not.

It’s sad that the world has become a place where children don’t feel safe at school. It seems that every other day we turn on the news to find out that there’s been a mass shooting - in schools, shopping malls, and at crowded events. While politicians and the media argue back and forth about who’s to blame and what should be done to address it, children, parents, and teachers are the ones that have to deal with it on a daily basis.

I had the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this picture book from NetGalley. This book, coming out just as a new school year begins, is a terrific resource to help children, teachers, and parents start a conversation about overcoming the fears and anxieties that naturally come with new emphasis being placed on security measures and safety drills.

In a note at the end, the author shares the real life inspiration for this book. As she was finishing up an author event at a school, there was a lockdown put in place. While she was waiting for the all-clear, she imagined the fear that the young children in the building must be experiencing.

With beautiful illustrations, and calming text, this book would be a great way to reassure young readers that the adults around them will do everything they can to keep them safe.

As soon as I saw this book in a NetGalley email I knew I wanted to read and review it. As a parent sending a child into Kindergarten this is something that is about to sharply become my and my son’s reality.

I’m saddened by the need to have active shooter drills, but know I need to prepare myself for how to best support my son, because the trauma of even a drill is surely hard on a young child.

The artwork of this book is beautiful. Ava and her grandfather are to go on a picnic and to paint on a nature trail and I feel like the artwork gets you into that frame of mind. The scenery very much looks like a beautiful watercolor painting in itself.

The book demonstrates to children that it’s okay to not know how to feel, to feel sad, to want quiet, or to want to talk. It demonstrates to guardians, grandparents, and parents how to best support your child through something like this. Be willing to listen and validate their feelings.

This is a tough subject but I’m grateful to the author for writing it and giving adults a resource such as this.

The importance of listening to a child's concerns and fears regarding our everchanging world and the value of open discussion.
#NetGalley #Flyaway Books

I liked this book. It seems like it would really help with such a hard topic to talk to kids about. It was relatable and didn't sugar coat over anything.

One Thursday Afternoon
by Barbara DiLorenzo
Great pictures and brief explanation may be used in classrooms to help explain the universality of the current need for drills. Showing children that their parents and grandparents had similar drills, that they were frightened for.

Book received for free through NetGalley

I’m so glad I spotted this book. I read it through once before reading it to my kids. For such a tough topic it was written well and the images were amazing. I could see my eight year old’s face as she took it in. Both my girls said they loved it. Wish we didn’t need this book but appreciate that you wrote it.

I loved this sweet story about a girl who comes home scared after a lockdown practice at school. The illustrations are GORGEOUS!!! I also loved how the grandpa doesn't try to fix it but just sits and listens. I think often we forget about the cold war duck and cover drills that were also a scary time for the kids in our nation. This is a subject that, no matter how much we wish it would, is not going away anytime soon. I am so glad there was an author out there who was willing to address it rather than sweep it under the rug. A beautiful book for anyone with school kids of any age.

This is a lovely, gentle book about such a horrific subject. I've often struggled with how to deal with my kid's inevitable questions about lockdown drills and school shootings, and this book seems like a great place to start. I think this important book should be available in every school. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This is such an important book. Lockdown drills can be super scary for children and allowing them to process through this book as Ava does, to know they are not alone in their fear, will be super helpful. Unfortunately, this is an important book for every library to have now. Highly recommended for grades 1 & up.

It seems crazy and sad that there needs to be a picture book about school lockdowns and the fears that kids may feel but here we are. One Thursday Afternoon does a good job of being reassuring for kids and tries to teach them to be resilient when fears emerge.

This book is lovely, both in its beautiful illustrations full of fall colors and its sparse, yet carefully chosen text. In just a few words, this story highlights the emotional baggage of active shooter drills, the fears of not being safe in your school, and the common threads of these challenges woven across generations. It also offers a sweet story of family love and support and how the arts can be an avenue towards healing and emotional well-being. I would recommend this book for any elementary educator, guidance counselor, or parent of elementary students who may be grappling with some of the same fears and concerns addressed in this story. This is a reality in schools across the United States, and a book like this takes a bit of the fear and uncertainty out of these active shooter drills, and it validates some very real, very big feelings that young people may be wrestling with.

This gentle read allows readers a spring board to discuss their feelings with a grownup. Minimal language and explanation of the safety drill allow students to enter the conversation at their own pace. Effective coping mechanisms and strategies for being afraid are gently suggested. It might not be helpful for students to hear the grandfathers perspective of the duck and cover drills as they may take the conversation away from what really needs to be discussed.

Parents and teachers could use this as a conversation tool with students.

This book should not have to exist. But here is why you need to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an early copy for review.
Note: My full review is after the Short Review. Trigger warnings for those who decide to read the full review.

Short Review:

"One Thursday Afternoon" is a beautifully illustrated book about Ava, an elementary school-aged girl who is confused and afraid after a school lock-down drill, and her grandad, who listens and empathizes with her as she processes her emotions after the scary event. He takes her for a picnic and to paint in the park, and while few words are spoken, it is very meaningful.

The illustrations are stunning, the fall afternoon vivid and crisp on the page, the simplicity of the story heartbreaking and beautiful all at once.

I truly believe everyone with a child in their life needs to read this book, and be ready and open to a conversation on this topic. This book is the perfect start.

Full Review:

I was 10 years old when my local high school, just miles down the road, was attacked by a student with a gun. As children just 5 years older than me were injured and killed, my elementary school went on lock-down. We didn't really know what was happening, but suddenly one thing was clear: Our parents could not protect us from this.

Suddenly, fear was very real, and our teachers were our only hope for calm and reassurance. I will forever remember that day- my need to find my little cousin who was 2 grades younger than me, to make sure she was okay, to hug her as she cried-and my wonderful teacher who kept us busy, quiet, and safe, until the lock-down was lifted, the damage was done, and our parents were finally allowed to collect us, devastated as we learned of what occurred that morning.

Twenty years later I am grown, old enough to have my own children, and this book brings a hard lump to my throat. Because this Ava, this thoughtful little elementary-school-aged girl, was me.

There are 3 things I need everyone to take away from this book.
1. Children's fears and confusion are valid, and are to be taken as seriously as your own. They are to be expressed and moved through, with loving and kind guidance.
2. Adults are to listen, to empathize, and to provide a safe space for their children to speak and feel heard. Simply saying "that will never happen to you" or "it'll be okay", disregards their very real fears.
3. This book is just the start to a conversation we should all have with our children, or at the very least be ready and willing to have.

I graduated from that same high school, eating my lunch in the same cafeteria where children were murdered, volunteering with my team to polish the memorial made on the school grounds in honor of the fallen and injured children from that day. Each year the entire town would pause for a long moment of silence, the local fire and police departments lining up outside our buildings to remember the tragedy of that day, their lights flashing- but not a sound. The absolute and wrong silence of hundreds of high school students, teachers, parents, and law enforcement gathered together.

The active-shooter drills were as constant as earthquake and fire drills. The imperfect patches on the textured walls of my school were bandaged scars from bullet holes, and I would stare at them, not really able to comprehend what had happened right where I was standing.

And I was one of the lucky ones- 3 miles and 4 years away from being at that school that day.

But I still felt it, our entire beautiful little town did, and so do children now who have to go through the same lock-downs and drills I went through, a generation later.

This book is a beautiful start to a conversation that is vital to the wellbeing of our children. Please read it, empathize with it, and think about what you will do to support the children in your lives and your community.

This is a really well-done picture book that touches on the feelings that children may have after a school lockdown drill. This is a relevant and current topic that needs more books like this. Well written with beautiful illustrations.

I think this picture book will definitely find its place in elementary schools. Especially prior to and/or after those first lockdown drills of the year. Though a bit simple and didactic, it still has value in validating kids' fears, letting them know they are loved & supported, and giving some ideas of coping strategies in the face of the fear/worry. These are important for their social emotional development and will carry through in other aspects of their lives.

I just want to thank the author for writing this book. This is a real fear that my students face every single year we practice our lock down drills. And each year gets increasingly scarier as we see the need for these drills increase.
I thought this book was well done. It would be a great book for parents and grandparents to read, share, and discuss with their children. I liked how it didn’t promise everything was okay, just that talking about it helps. I appreciated that. I would love to see one written in a school/classroom setting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Fly Away books for the opportunity to read this book!!

Lockdown drills are scary. They can have lasting effects and leave children feeling vulnerable and scared. This is exactly how Ava feels. Grandad says, that is okay. When he used to do Duck and Cover drills, he too felt scared. So, they talk over how to feel better and what to do with these feelings. I hate that books like these need to exist, but they are needed. This one does an excellent job of letting the reader know their feelings are valid and allowed. The author even puts her own story of being in a school lockdown at the end of the book.

This book brought tears to my eyes. One Thursday Afternoon tells the story of Ava and her grandfather. Ava is quiet citing her bad day at school. Much to Ava’s dismay the two go on a picnic where they eat lunch and paint in quiet. Ava eventually shares there was a lockdown drill and how it really scared her. Her grandfather provides a listening ear and some wise words to help support her. This book shows a sad reality of what children are facing in school.