The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

 

Title: The Day You Begin

Author: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrations: Rafael Lopez

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

ISBN: 9780399246531

 

Review:

Being new and different in a classroom or any place can be difficult. Not always will you look like everyone else or talk like everyone else but maybe there will be something you have in common. 

One young girl is new and shy. The other children look at her with curiosity. She worries that she doesn’t look like them. Others in the class wonder the same. Is it their hair, skin color, lunch meals or the way words roll from their tongues? What happens when you don’t know what to say or you don’t know how to play? Perhaps, you just have to be brave and begin.

This delightful story shows kids having doubts about being different. Young readers will see that we are all different and its not a bad thing. Vibrant and gentle illustrations show the emotion of the characters. Poetic verse is calming and rhythmic. Parents, teachers, and caregivers can use this book as a tool to discuss how kids are different and how they are similar.