- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Contemporary
Some Sunny Day
Book 4 of 4 in Cymbeline IglooView the full series
Stuck in lockdown and missing his friends, Cymbeline rallies his class to cheer up their hospitalised school cook by researching her WWII childhood - and stumbles onto a tent, a strange girl in his football shirt, and a mystery linking past and present. Gentle, funny and quietly moving.
- Best for9–12
- FormatChapter
- Length320 pp
- Read aloud~4 hr30 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Warm
- Heartwarming
- Bittersweet
- Inspirational
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
It's the first lockdown, and Cymbeline Igloo is stuck at home doing online lessons and missing everyone. When Mrs Stebbings, the class's beloved school cook, is taken into hospital, Cym decides his history project should cheer her up - so he sets out to uncover the story of her childhood during the Second World War. But the project takes a strange turn: a tent appears where it shouldn't, along with a mysterious girl wearing the signed football shirt Cym's mum accidentally gave away in a clear-out. As Cym pulls the threads together, past and present begin to touch, and a story emerges about kindness, refuge and the small things that make a big difference - including a subplot of newly arrived families from Syria and Eritrea. Adam Baron's fourth Cymbeline novel is warm, funny and hopeful, an early piece of pandemic fiction that never loses its lightness while grounding itself in real history and real feeling.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Best for 9-12s reading independently, and a warm read-aloud from about 8. Lighter and more hopeful than the earlier books, its WWII strand and pandemic setting give older readers extra to chew on while younger ones enjoy the mystery and the jokes.
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Low
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: illness or disability, war or conflict.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny and moving
- Builds empathy
- History for kids
- Kindness stories
Avoid if
- Sensitive to illness
Particularly good for children who are…
- Illness in family
- Immigration or new country
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Cym is bored in lockdown until a project to cheer up his poorly school cook turns spooky - a tent that shouldn't be there and a girl wearing his own football shirt. Kids love the puzzle, the jokes and the way the past keeps bleeding into the present.
- Being a detective
- Making a difference
- Friendship and belonging
- Time travel
Why parents love it
One of the first children's books to fold in lockdown, handled with a light touch and a big heart. Baron weaves WWII history, refugee kindness and small acts of decency into a funny mystery, and Cym's voice makes it a pleasure to share aloud.
- Shared humour
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
In the series
Cymbeline Igloo.
4 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
