Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Most people do not like rainy days," but Sunny, the smiling heroine of Krampien's authorial debut, is not one of those people. For Sunny, rain is welcome because it creates the perfect opportunity for using her big yellow umbrella. When a gust of wind sweeps Sunny up and away, it's her ability to see the positive in all situations that keeps her afloat. The wind carries her over the ocean and drops her in a boat, and Sunny decides that "she preferred boating just now to swimming." As more seemingly unfortunate events keep occurring (indeed, the book's structure recalls Remy Charlip's classic Fortunately), Sunny keeps her positive outlook, starting to cry only when she finds herself all alone in the middle of the sea. Her tears don't last long, for soon a group of friendly birds arrives to carry her back to shore. The illustrations, with backgrounds in shades of teal and with Sunny's umbrella, boots, and raincoat providing bright patches of yellow, have a vintage feel. Occasional panels mix with double-page spreads to keep the action moving forward. An effective vertically oriented panel spread emphasizes Sunny's descent from the sky into the stormy sea ("Down, down, down she fell into the boat"). A bright and cheery story reminding readers to look beyond the dismal and toward the good in challenging situations. (c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Sunny finds silver linings in the darkest clouds."Most people would say there is nothing good" about walking to school on a dreary, rainy morning, "but not Sunny." She thinks it is the perfect day to use her big yellow umbrella. When a big gust carries her away, she continues to maintain her positive outlook and soars with a sea gull. Soon, the wind takes her over the sea and drops her into a small boat on rolling waves. Optimistic Sunny thinks how glad she is to be boating, not swimming. Terrible situations keep being thrust at Sunny, but only when she finds herself alone in the middle of the sea does she cry. Following a "most people would saybut not Sunny" pattern, Krampien creates a story around one character's ability to find the bright sides of bleak situations. She shows that it is OK to cry and that when things get too bad, others will help lift us when we are down. The illustrations are mainly rendered in shades of teal, with Sunny a bright spot with her yellow raincoat, boots, umbrella, and, later, her white-and-yellow boat. Sunny has black hair and light skin, and the other characters have diverse skin and hair colors.Sweet and bright, like the sun on a stormy day. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.