On the Day You Were Born

The premise of this book - that the entire world bows to newborn humans - makes me want to barf. But: after reading it one hundred times, I've come to appreciate the things the author chose to depict and the funky art style. And I sometimes get a little teary-eyed at the end.

Beautiful illustrations; charming content. The only off note for me is the very end when the book talks about a group of people singing to the newborn .... That suddenly de-universalizes it and sends it straight to hippie-dom. Fine for a lot of folks I know, but definitely not going to work for others. Otherwise, this is a great book!

This was the first book that captured Emmett's attention long enough for us to read the whole thing! So self-centred.

No, um, the pretty art helped grab him, and the versy quality of the prose, describing all the cosmic and mystical pageantry that happened to herald your birth, and of course the fact that the pages are cardboard and good for chewing.

Beautiful illustrations; charming content. The only off note for me is the very end when the book talks about a group of people singing to the newborn .... That suddenly de-universalizes it and sends it straight to hippie-dom. Fine for a lot of folks I know, but definitely not going to work for others. Otherwise, this is a great book!

Frasier's short, simple story recounts all the beautiful things that happen around the Earth and in the solar system on the day that the reader was born. She talks about the happiness that spread within the animals and the people, how the Earth and the sun prepared to greet their new child, and how all the parts of nature did their job in order to properly welcome their new friend. The story ends with the reader being welcomed into the world by their loving family and friends.

On the Day You Were Born is a fantastic book for parents to read to their children, or even for children to read allowed to their parents. Children are very curious creatures and reading this book will have a positive impact on them. Not only does it tell the story about what goes on the day you were born but also has informational facts in the back of the book about the earth, the sun, animals, trees, etc. Throughout the book, the author talks about how all the elements of earth get ready for you to be born and the back shows what each one means and symbolizes. This give the child a sense of a special place on the earth and how everyone and everything welcomed them on the day they were born. The illustrations are well done as it shows show more the diversity of children but leaves out detail of drawing faces, hair and other qualities. The author did to provide a sense of unity among the children around the world. It also could represent purity, as the baby is born without having defined qualities that they will gain later on in life. This story pushes children to think about what goes on around them and broadens their perspective about the earth. show less

In simple words and radiant collages, Debra Frasier celebrates the natural miracles of the earth and extends an exuberant welcome to each member of our human family. Accompanied by a detailed glossary explaining such natural phenomena as gravity, tides, and migration, this is an unforgettable book. “A book filled with reverence for the natural order of the world and the place of the individual in it.”--School Library Journal