Tamara Dever’s The Day We Found Yesterday is a blast from the past, a picture book for both young readers and nostalgic GenXers to experience the ’80s. Dazzling funky illustrations with 500+ music references will catch anyone’s eye and instantly transport readers back to the days of “I want my MTV!”
Eileen, Mickey and Eddie love their grandparents, Nana and Papa. When they overhear them grieving something special they lost long ago, the grandkids set out on a mission in their grandparents’ hometown to find it. They visit their grandparents’ friends at their local businesses, hoping that one of them will have the answer to the question of the missing treasure.
Their journey quickly turns into a time-traveling adventure as they gather stories of their grandparents’ ’80s childhoods from the friends and family who watched them grow up.
The shops are covered with ’80s music callbacks, like “Karma” the Chameleon in the pet store, the travel agency slogan, “On the Road Again,” and a reminder on the doctor’s office wall that “every breath you take keeps lungs healthy.”
Each page of The Day We Found Yesterday, illustrated by Missi Jay, is a universe of detail.
Colorful signs and carefully hidden objects cover every inch, inviting children to pore over the pages, pick out favorite illustrations, and giggle over silly puns. New readers will find ’80s slang like “atomic” and “funky” to be an exciting challenge!
Once the kids’ adventure has come to an end, there’s more to explore at the back of the book.
Young readers can treasure hunt through the pages for tiny items like bells and hamsters. Meanwhile, adults can search for references to songs, artists, and even spot cameos from ’80s celebrities like Corey Hart, Debbie Gibson, and the lead singers of Men Without Hats, A Flock of Seagulls, and Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant. Mark Goodman, Nina Blackwood, Alan Hunter, and Martha Quinn also show up in colorful images as the original MTV VJs.
The Day We Found Yesterday by Tamara Dever opens opportunities for children to learn more about their parents’ and grandparents’ lives, sparking connection beyond generational boundaries in a fun, colorful adventure. This is a story that will last through the decades!
