🟢 Book Review: Visiting Day by Bell Jacqueline Woodson and James Ransome

RATING: 🟢 Recommended

REVIEWER: Rique Fernandez-Lymon

REVIEW METHODOLOGY: Louise Derman-Spark's Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books from the Social Justice Books Project, Teaching for Change

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“Grandma says all it takes is time, a little time, and while we’re holding out waiting for Daddy to come home, we can count our blessings and love each other up and make biscuits and cakes and pretty pictures to send Daddy…”

Visiting Day by Jacqueline Woodson is a story about a little girl and her grandmother who wake up early as they get ready for their long day ahead. They are preparing to visit the girl's father who is, as grandma puts it, doing a little time. Her father is anticipating their visit as he gets ready and converses with the others about seeing his daughter today. The little girl and her grandmother take the long bus ride to the big building that is holding her father. They get to visit, share laughs, eat snacks and enjoy each other's company for a while. Time goes by, and another visit is over. The grandma assures the little girl that they will not have to make the trip forever and that her daddy will be home soon with them. Jacqueline Woodson does a great job of sharing a story and discussing a family type that is not too common in the media. She provides the readers with compassion and humility to those incarcerated.

The author, Jacqueline Woodson, shares her own unique experience and connection to the story. She had an uncle who was incarcerated and related to the experience of having to wake up early to attend visits. She has written many books to use her voice on topics many do not talk about. She has also won many awards, including the Coretta Scott King Award. She works closely with the illustrator James E. Ransome who has illustrated many books for her stories and has also received many awards with his 60 years of experience. He was raised in the South by his grandmother and has always had a passion for illustrating. His artwork shows helps portray Black excellence. 

More than 2.7 million children have had or currently have a parent in prison. Children with incarcerated parents have been known to do poorly in academics and struggle with their mental health. Woodson and Ransome help destigmatize the situation and raise awareness for an important family structure. Ransome illustrated perfectly the emotions of visiting a parent in a place that is not a home and the sadness of leaving at the end of the day. Overall, this story is perfect to discuss family structures and allows representation for a family structure that is not talked about enough. I recommend this book as it includes diversity, inclusion and breaks stigma on how a family should be portrayed.

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ABOUT THE REVIEWER

REVIEWER BIO: Rique is a student Portland State University and is taking Zapoura Newton-Calvert's Anti-Oppression Curriculum course. Their volunteer work was a partnership with Reading Is Resistance and the Social Justice Books Project from Teaching for Change.

Our reviewer Rique Fernandez-Lymon.