The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson Quinita Balderson Woodson, Jacqueline The Day You Begin; illus. by Rafael López. Paulsen/Penguin, 2018 [32p] ISBN 978-0-399-24653-1 $18.99 Reviewed from galleys R* 6-9 yrs Second-person narration treats the concept of being different in a new space and the sometimes uncomfortable feelings that accompany those new experiences, occasionally focusing on individual children as examples. In those uncomfortable spaces, the children learn, are possibilities: you can find confidence to speak, like Angelina, who initially doubted the value of her modest experiences compared to her classmates; or you can be like Rigoberto, who chooses to be friendly to a lonely classmate, despite his own lackluster welcome to the class. Woodson's lyrical text [End Page 44] is gently reassuring as it moves between broad discussion and specific examples of difference and discomfort, which emphasize children moving across cultures but will speak to children from all backgrounds and experiences. Mixed-media illustrations, employing watercolors, acrylics on wood, pen and pencil, and digital elements, combine bold with soft colors and textures in a slightly shaded tropical palette; compositions employ creative and insightful perspectives to suit the characters' feelings, as when viewers look up at a foregrounded Angelina while smaller nearby onlookers notice her shyly twirling the coils of her afro. The artist frequently incorporates a ruler into the illustrations, which perhaps speaks to the children's perceptions of how they measure up to others. This lovely and sensitive treatment of adjustment deserves a spot in any collection for youngsters. Copyright © 2018 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois