#BOOKREVIEW 23
CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK REVIEW AS A WRITER AND A READER
Title: The Day You Begin
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrator: Rafael López
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Target Reader: 4-8 Years
Have you lived a real world through a book?
The Day You Begin just took me into so many situations I had lived in these past few years.
The opening line – There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you – flashed the memories of me landing in a country that was never mine. Suddenly, a rush of emotions flooded in me as both brain and body tried to keep me safe. The book presents multiple scenarios within a school where children of colour face situations where they feel unaccepted and are judged for their looks, name, food or any other thing that makes them appear different.
Jacqueline Woodson has used show and tell to demonstrate real situations and captured the true feelings of a child who looks different from others or when their name is hard to pronounce. Without using the word ‘unique or distinct or special’, the author has expressed the struggle a child goes through when seen as different in a class.
We all long for belonging yet moving to a new city or a new country takes away the comfort of safety. Everything is new and unknown. People look at us in surprise, just as we look at them and wonder about their stories. For children who lived in multiple countries due to the often movement of their parent’s careers, feel displaced and struggle to find their roots. But many of them often develop higher tolerance towards diverse ethnicities and cultures.
As a teacher in an international school, I see this struggle every day. Children look themselves as different, yet they find many similarities. Some adjust to the change faster, but some find it hard to cope. Many neurodivergent kids face even greater challenges with belongingness while their parents and teachers try their best to make them feel normal.
Reading The Day You Begin brought me chills, I struggled to decide from where to begin my review as multiple emotions consumed me. I experience these scenarios in class when a child brings a traditional food or wears something different or has unique hair. Because it is an international community the exposure of these students is much higher, and they are better aware. They do not get shocked or surprised seeing a kid from an unfamiliar ethnicity. The school also plays a significant role of practicing equality and fostering acceptance. The openness among teachers and fair treatment to all serve as a role-model for students.
At its heart, this book reminds us that it is the responsibility of adults to show acceptance, and tolerance towards others. We cannot change the world without changing the discussions in our house.
Change begins at home — with the stories we tell, the discussions we allow, and the acceptance we model.
I am an author, teacher, and holistic wellness coach with a deep passion for children’s growth and self-worth. Reviewing children’s books inspired me to write my own picture book, Stand Up for Yourself: Brando Tells Dory.
The story reflects my belief that every child deserves acceptance—not only from others but also from within. Through Dory’s journey of finding her voice and Brando’s support, young readers learn that standing up for themselves and asking for help are powerful acts of self-respect.
At its heart, my work reminds children—and adults alike—that every voice matters, and every child has the right to say, “I matter.”
Click here to get a copy for your child
About A New You:
We all deserve to have everything in our life exactly the way we want it.The first step begins with believing that every moment is bringing an opportunity to be a new you. As a founder, I provide tools to elevate all dimensions of your life and I teach you the art of writing to reach to your true potential.
Vandana Sehgal | Founder – A New You
