In this moving picture book from multi-award winning author Jacqueline Woodson, a young 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 illusrtrated by James Ransome.
Read Aloud Tips
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Before reading, have students study the pictures and predict what the book is about.
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Stop periodically, show students the images, and let them predict what will happen next.
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Mass incarceration is a huge issue in America. Introduce age-appropriate articles to your students and allow this to foster discussion around this issue, as well as other injustices here in America.
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Create a safe space for your students to talk about incarceration. This could be a reality for some of your students. Let them know they are safe and allow them to take time to get comfortable.
“This poignant picture book chronicles a joyfil girl narrator’s hard-to-bear anticipation and special preparations for a journey with her grandmother to see her father.. . A shared feeling of hope and tenderness pervades each spread.” – Publisher’s Weekly