Picture book illustrated with watercolor, graphite and colored pencil. The story follows a red nosed girl who has a cold. The child learns different techniques that help soothe you while you let a cold runs its course. At the end of the story, we see that she has passed the cold to a family member. ( )

Barbara Bottner (Miss Brooks Loves Books) delivers a perfect book for a sick day. It may be spring outside - there are songbirds on a tree just beginning to leaf out outside the window - but inside, a child is bed-headed and red-nosed. A cold needs plenty of TLC, and time, "until, finally, it says goodbye" (illustrations show a face growing less bleary and more alert, with the color moving from the nose to the cheeks).

See also: A Sick Day for Amos McGee ( )

A child is home sick with a cold and receives various comforts to help her feel better, from chicken soup to a good book to read.

This is a sweet and lovely picture book with gentle illustrations to match. Since basically everyone gets a cold at some point in their life, it is sure to be relatable to young kids. It's a good read for children who are stuck at home sick so they don't feel so miserable. I could also see this being used in a storytime setting during the height of cold and flu season; it would pair nicely with Bob, Not Bob!, another picture book about a child with a cold seeking comfort. ( )