Comments (22)

What did you think about this title?
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Jun 13, 2023JCLJenV rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
"There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you." An excellent story about humanity.
Jun 02, 2023JCLMaryLeeD rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
In this picture book about not fitting in at school, Angelina’s story flows through the beautiful verse and illustrations. So much meaning is packed into this short and powerful book.
Apr 04, 2023IndyPL_JaredW rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This is a book filled with people who are just a bit different, they look different, they eat different things for lunch, they did different things over summer break. Sometimes being just a bit different can make you feel a lot different…
Oct 07, 2021lilmisslibrary rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
What a beautiful picture book about finding the courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone. Must read for all!
Apr 18, 2021
Story for All Ages read by Hannah Franco-Isaacs at Sunday service, April 18, 2021, on YouTube (Sermon "Becoming an Anti-Racist, Anti-Oppressive, Radically Hospitable Congregation")
Mar 12, 2021
Great book to read at the beginning of the year to students.
Oct 17, 2020KristiBernard rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
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…
Sep 15, 2020
A beautiful book around the fear of being different, the power of finding your voice, telling your story and the friendships that emerge. Focuses on, Angelina, a young brown skinned girl with big curly hair. Angelina is hesitant to…
Jul 24, 2020sarahamccormack rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Different kids feel like outcasts or excluded but realize they have other kids with aspects in common, ex a kid from Venezuela realized actually has something in common with another girl who feels outcast
PennyLiteraryHoarder
Feb 11, 2020PennyLiteraryHoarder rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Read this one for the 2020 Reading Women Challenge (read a picture book written/illustrated by a BIPOC author)
Aug 20, 2019LPL_MattL rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The Day You Begin is a back-to-school story that highlights the initial discomfort of being the new kid in unfamiliar classroom. Rafael Lopez's vibrant and imaginative art pairs wonderfully author Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical prose to…
Apr 13, 2019JCLBeckyC rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This is a great picture book for younger elementary-aged kids who are experiencing a tough transition, such as being the new kid in town. Lovely illustrations. Necessary message. We are more alike than we realize until we open ourselves up…
Mar 28, 2019OLATHEAllisonA rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
There is something for everyone in this book, because every child is bound to feel "different" at some point in their lives. Woodson's prose is gentle yet wrought with emotion as she examines various external and internal reasons that a…
Mar 19, 2019VaughanPLDianeB rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A lovely book about acceptance (self and peer) in the context of school, though it could be generalized to anywhere you are the 'new' person. Beautifully illustrated and explained by author Jacqueline Woodson, this title is a good read…
Jan 18, 2019TSCPL_ScarlettFH rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, sad, hopeful: 3 words that come to mind with this picture book. Children will relate to the first person narrative, the classroom setting, and expressive illustrations. Adults will relate to their own experiences either as an…
Jan 16, 2019IndyPL_KatieB rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A beautifully illustrated book that combines the talents of award winner Jacqueline Woodson and illustrator Rafeal Lopez. This book speaks about how you might feel like you are the only one in a room who looks a certain way or eats a…
Nov 30, 2018leslie_d_ rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The Day You Begin is so incredibly beautiful. It took me some time to actually finish that first read-through, just savoring the words and pictures. The Poet she is, Jacqueline Woodson’s latest picture book could withstand a lesser…
Nov 23, 2018IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A thoughtful, lovely picture book about the awkwardness of being the one who is “different” in a school class and how you get past it. Jacqueline Woodson is a four-time Honor Book winner for the Newbery Award for best children’s book, and…
Nov 06, 2018ArapahoeErinR rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A beautiful lyrical book about the challenges kids face when they feel different than everyone else.
Oct 25, 2018OPL_KrisC rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Teaches a great lesson and would make a good read-a-loud for classrooms.
Sep 15, 2018
Jacqueline Woodson can write no wrong in my eyes. I always feel connected to her words and this picture book is no different. It made me feel like she lovingly wrapped her arms around me and reminded me that there is no one in the world…
Aug 31, 2018JCLEmmaF rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Pure warmth. A picture book about unbelonging when "all that stands beside you is your own brave self," and the moment that "the world opens itself a little wider to make some space for you."