Visiting Day

This is a beautifully written book about family, love, and hope. Visiting day is a very special day for one young girl because she gets to visit her father in prison. Although this book deals with a heavy topic, the tone exudes love and hope. Jaqueline Woodson takes a sophisticated subject and makes it relatable. This would be a great book to read so that any child who is separated from an incarcerated family member feels like they are not alone. A wonderful story that shows the power of love.

Before reading, I assumed that Visiting Day was about visiting day at a jail because that was the first thing that came to mind. Based on the picture on the cover, you can assume that it is a daughter visiting her dad on visiting day.

This book is about a young girl who eagerly awaits Visiting Day, a day that only rolls around once a month, so that she can go see her Daddy where he is "just doing some time." The child talks about their preparations and excitement on the morning of, and she talks about the wonderful yet brief period she spends with her dad while visiting. Her grandmother tells her, as they sadly ride the bus to return home, that this will not be forever, and they sit and laugh together, talking about all the big plans show more they have for when he returns.

This book hit a really soft spot for me, as I have worked very closely with younger children in this position through my city's Juvenile Court. It is so incredibly hard on a child, and a figure like this child's grandmother is not always present for the kids going through this. I like that Woodson never says they are going to a jail or a prison or talks about why he's there. A child does not care what their parent did to end up being taken away; they only care about when they'll be returning home. Woodson's selective word choice really drives in that point. The only thing the little girl in the story cares about is waiting to see her Daddy again. show less

Another wonderful book by Jacqueline Woodson, one of my new favorite authors. The illustrations are just the beginning of what makes this book so beautiful. It is the story about a young girl going to visit her father and initially the reader does not know he is incarcerated. The author does not focus on his incarceration, but rather the importance of the father-daughter relationship and the love they have for one another.

The narrator, a young girl, wakes up early once a month to her grandma fixing fried chicken and cornbread, smiling her “just-for-Grandma-and-Daddy smile.” It’s visiting day, and she is going to see her daddy. Her grandma tells her that Daddy is “doing a little time.” The visits are happy ones, with the narrator telling her dad all about the previous month while sitting on his lap. Lots of smiles, kisses, and hugs are exchanged, but then it is time to go. The narrator is sad, but she knows she will see her dad again the next month and looks forward to the day he’ll be home for good.

The illustrations by James E. Ransome are beautifully painted and show the emotions of the narrator and other characters clearly. The stark show more contrast between the blue sky and the watchtower, which peeks up from behind a tall wall with barbed wire, tells the reader why the girl and her grandma are having to visit. They also help the reader empathize with the narrator, her grandma, and her dad. When the narrator returns home, it is dark and the streets are deserted, showing the reader just how long the day was for only a short time to visit.

Inspired by her own visits with her uncle Robert in prison, this story shows that despite prison, the family’s love endures, and there is only a sense of hope that things will be better in the future when they can all be together again. show less

This is a story inspired by routines that several families will be familiar with, a trip to prison. Prison visits, especially for children, can be a shameful experience. Woodson changes that. Once a month, a little girl and her grandma begin their day early cooking some good southern food. The food is for the long bus trip they need to make to get to the prison where her daddy is. The bus is full of other people making the same trip, so they all pass around the food in a type of celebration that it’s finally visiting day. During the visit, everyone is happy and telling stories. Then it’s over. Grandma points out that one day, daddy will be home and they won’t ever have to leave him again. Jacqueline never gives our characters show more names. This is no accident. With our characters lacking names, we as readers don’t see this as Sally’s story; we see this as the story of several little girls. Jacqueline’s overall message emphasizes remaining hopeful for their family members return.

Details: This book was written to interest children in grades K-3 and is on a 3.6 reading level. show less

"Visiting Day" is a story of a little girl who lives with her grandma. They go to visit her dad in prison, once a month. They both look forward to this and make plans for when her dad finally gets to come home. I feel that this is an awesome read for anyone, but particulary children whose parents are incarcerated. This book can be relatable for those children and help them not feel so alone or embarrassed during that time in their life. I felt as if the illustrations did a great job showing the emotion the family was feeling at all times.

Visiting Day by Jacqueline Woodson was a wonderful book that touches on a difficult topic. Every month on visiting day, a little girl gets ready to visit her daddy in jail. Together, both Grandma and the little girl prepare themselves for the day ahead. Only on this day do they go on a long bus ride, eating fried chicken and cornbread, arms full of presents from Mrs. Tate for her son, excited about seeing Daddy again. Despite her sadness, the little girl is determined to look on the bright side and hope for the day when her Daddy will finally come home. Visiting Day is beautiful in its simplicity, and it does a fantastic job of illustrating a difficult reality for many children. This book is full of optimism and acceptance, perfect for show more children who have parents that may be incarcerated. show less