"At breakfast you might be given a crown.
Because your birthday is to celebrate that
you are here. It's to tell you that you matter.
People may sing to you.
Or you can make up a little song and sing
it to yourself."
Besides Christmas itself, many Canadian children count their birthday as their best day of the year. It is often a day filled with great joy and excitement for them as they are celebrated with gifts, cake, and party time. In her new book, Mary Lyn Ray speaks to the importance of that day and those doings that make it so very special.
Her use of a second person voice immediately lets the reader know that she is speaking directly to them. The wondering and whispering happens as one child begins her day with her younger sibling, her mother, and a crown. The second shows a bright red-headed dad pushing his equally carrot-topped child down the hallway in a laundry basket. The third lies on the floor with her feet resting on the wall while she sings a gentle song to herself. Each holds a stuffed toy.
With each page turn, readers learn there may be a chance to do something never tried before, few or many presents, or just time to celebrate the day as a very personal one.
"Because wherever you go,
your birthday goes with you."
In celebration, pictures are good, as is measuring to see how much growth has happened in the past year, and maybe even waiting patiently for a birthday surprise. What could be better than that? No matter what else happens during the year, everybody gets a birthday every year and cake. Please don't forget to make a wish!
This is a sweet and cozy read aloud sure to inspire stories and memories from years past, and wishes for years to come.
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