Why read An Ordinary Day?

Book cover of An Ordinary Day

Book description

An ordinary day in an ordinary neighborhood turns out to be quite extraordinary in this moving story about the circle of life.

It’s an average day in the neighborhood—children play, roses are watered, and a crow watches over it all. But then two visitors arrive at two houses, one to…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked An Ordinary Day as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Caroline Kusin Pritchard

Author

This book isn’t just powerful because of how it allows kids to think (and ask) about death, but because of the staggering beauty in the storytelling itself.

We see two stories play out in neighboring houses—in one, a child is born; in the other, a dog is put to sleep. These parallel scenes help children see the circle of life in a way that is both accessible and, at times, heartbreaking.

I’ve read this story to our kids no less than 20 times, and each time, there’s an unmistakable silence as we witness the first and last breaths take place.…

From Caroline's list on talking about death and loss with your kids.

Robin Hall

Author

When I picked up An Ordinary Day, I felt this book was written just for me as it normalizes the beauty and softness of homebirth, my favorite way to bring children into the world.

An Ordinary Day reminds us of the circle of life as we focus on two neighbor families. One who is saying goodbye to a beloved pet and the other saying hello to a brand-new baby. It shares the ordinary world outside and the extraordinary world of what is happening inside, reminding us that these happenings are also ordinary, that life and death are a natural part…

From Robin's list on picture books for healing from loss.