Visiting day by Jacqueline Woodson

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Visiting day was written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by James E. Ransome. Jacqueline is a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement for her contributions to young adult literature and a two-time winner of the Jane Addams Children's Book Award. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York.

This book was published by Puffin Books in 2015. This short book only has 32 pages. And also it is suitable for reading age 5 - 7 years old. It can be used for Kindergarten until grade 2. [1]   

Summary

In this moving picture book from multi-award winning author Jacqueline Woodson, a young Afican Amercan girl and her grandmother prepare for a very special day--the one day a month they get to visit the girl's father in prison. "Only on visiting day is there chicken frying in the kitchen at 6 a.m, and Grandma in her Sunday dress, humming soft and low." As the little girl and her grandmother get ready, her father, who adores her, is getting ready, too, and readers get to join the community of families who make the trip together, as well as the triumphant reunion between father and child, all told in Woodson's trademark lyrical style, and beautifully illustrated by James Ransome [2]

Pros

A veriefied reader named Genee talked about she had the same experiences with this little girl, sh said that she could remember making the long drive with her two sisters and her mom to visit her dad who was incarcerated when she was just three years old. Of course, it was not until she was much older that she truly understood why we had to go visit daddy and why he never came home with us. She Thanking the author for being so bold to write and illustrate about a topic that can be so difficult and emotional for many to speak about openly.

Valerie had different perspective about this book, she mention that she was thoroughly surprised and touched by this text. The African American culture is brought to life through images of family and a true "insiders" perspective, fried chicken with Grandma, hair-braiding, photographs throughout the house, sharing meals with friends or family, and even language. The topic in itself is quite controversial: visiting an incaricrated parent in jail, however, Woodson shares in the Author and Illustrator note at the back of the book that this story is based on true events from the author's life, visiting her uncle while he was in prison. She tells a story of culture, love and optimism, without sugar-coating the topic itself. [3]

References