Our Favorite Day of the Year

On Musa’s first day at kindergarten, he didn’t know any of his other classmates. His wise teacher announces to the class that throughout the year, they’ll each be sharing their favorite day of the year and celebrating with one another, and that by the end of the year they will all be close friends. Though Musa is hesitant at first, he and the rest of his class enjoy sharing and celebrating together their favorite days, like Eid Al-Fitr, Rosh Hashanah, Pi Day, and Las Posadas. As each child shares about their favorite day, the rest of the class can see why it’s their favorite. At the end of the school year, the teacher gives each student a calendar with all of their favorite days on it to celebrate and remember one another. As a book in the genre of inclusion, this story stands out in it’s choice to focus on an appealing subject to children—their favorite day of the year—to help them get acquainted with other cultures and families. Ali’s story develops naturally, educationally, and enjoyably without feeling contrived, and Bell’s interesting illustrations perfectly enhance the celebration of diversity portrayed through the story. The holidays shared don’t focus much on the religious aspect, but rather the celebratory rituals and traditions accompanying a holiday, though a variety of religious holidays are shared. Musa’s back-to-school experience will reassure anxious children and the holidays included will expand interest in learning about different cultures.