The Day You Begin
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrator:Rafael López 

‘The Day You Begin’ - a picture book written by the 2018-2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jacqueline Woodson- tells a heart-warming tale of embracing differences and building relationships amongst them.

At first, Rigoberto, a young immigrant from Venezuela, feels alone and overlooked in the classroom. As her fellow classmates chuckle nervously anther strange accent and eye her dark hair uncomfortably, chattering about their plethora of expeditions the summer before, Rigoberto -having been on none herself- feels out of place and unworthy.

One day, Rigoberto manages to pluck up the courage, to open her heart a little wider for her classmates to see, and shares her story. Instead of the hardened and unreceptive mockery she perhaps expected to find, Rigoberto finds a little community willing and accepting of her different identity. From the day Rigoberto began embracing herself, she found laughter, and joy, and everything a young girl like her could dream of.

With its figuratively poetic language and repeating mantra striving for the self-pride we should possess in our differences, Jacqueline Woodson reminds each and every one of us that our differences is what makes us beautifully unique. She teaches the optimistic message that beneath the snickering laughter, the world does want to hear our funny stories and unusual quirks, and we should all proudly share them.