On the Day You Were Born

by Debra Frasier

This beautiful picture book is a celebration of our natural world that extends a loving welcome to each member of our human family. In simple words and radiant collages, Debra Frasier celebrates the earth and extends an exuberant welcome to each member of our human family. Travel across our round planet as the moon pulls, the tides rise, the rain falls, and then a baby is born. Accompanied by a glossary explaining such natural phenomena as gravity, tides, and migration, this unforgettable book affirms the special place each child holds in the world. A lovely gift for such special events as birthdays and baby showers, On the Day You Were Born belongs on every child's shelf. "Reading this picture book aloud to a child, even the most jaded among us may feel again the sheer miracle of our human existence. A+" — Entertainment Weekly On the eve of your birth, word of your coming passed from animal to animal . . . and the marvelous news migrated worldwide.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Science, Family, Poetry, Kids, Nature

24 pages, Board Book

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Debra Frasier is the author and illustrator of many award-winning picture books including On the Day You Were Born and Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary Disaster. In addition to her well-known talks on creative process, Debra’s innovative "Book Events" build a community’s creativity through projects that start with a story. Visit debrafrasier.com to see how a parade of words can make you laugh, how the alphabet can transform a school carnival into a Word Event, or how a talking dog can make your heart swell and teach first-person writing at the same time!

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading this book to my kids on their birthdays since they were very small. They're grown now, and still insist on hearing it, currently via Skype. The novelty now may have something to do with predicting when I will start to cry, as I cannot get through it without doing so!

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Parents got this for my Brother's Little Girl and It's Definitely one of the top 5 best children's books ever!! If you enjoyed Robert Munsch 'Love You Forever' you will certainly enjoy this book. Its global love.

[Mrs. Glaser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book when I completed my first trimester; what a beautiful story! (Makes a baby gift.) My son now reads it to me and I cry.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great! It's almost like two books, with the simpler narrative taking up most of it, and about 4-5 pages at the end with lots of text that would appeal to older kids interested in the natural world. I especially liked the scientific explanation of human beings' different skin colour in the last section. It has a nice, hippie, pagan kind of vibe, with a lot of awe of the natural world and of birth. The message that the world is made for you is just so lovely.

The earthy yet bright colours are great, and I liked the silhouette drawings. What's not to love?

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mom read this book to me on the day I was born. She was a real big sap about it, but she seemed so earnest that I humored her and listened very politely. Nice story about a bunch of animals and natural phenomena getting ready for my arrival. Perhaps not scientifically sound. Will investigate later. -M

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best ways to experience this book must be: narrated by Patrick Stewart on Reading Rainbow.

[Jenna Dillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Inspired by Debra Frasier's enormously popular On the Day You Were Born, this charming photo journal invites families to celebrate the arrival of their loved one into the natural world. A star-spangled blue sky, crossed by a swath of sunshine yellow with gold birds, introduces the reader to "the very first day you arrived." Baby's picture and name go right in the middle of all the cheery yellow. Turn the page: "You were born on the round planet Earth. Was it day, or was it night?" is printed with another space for a picture and a line to write the date and time of birth against the backdrop of more starry sky with that old blue and green globe plopped in the middle and a figure of a child frolicking across the ocean. On another page, the jubilant child dances across a beach: "On the day you were born waves washed the beaches clean for your footprints. How little were your fingers? How tiny were your toes?"

Genre: fantasy, fiction
Reading Level: The book is best for late-early readers because of the size of font, the increased amount of space between the letters and the amount of text on each page. Some of the sentences are complex, but most of the sentences just have a wide range of high frequency words. There are some regular and some harder phonetic regularities, and the words are mostly one or two syllables. There are also specialized content words that are related to nature that readers may have trouble reading because they have never been introduced to such words.
Topics: new life, natural world, embracing birth, acceptance
Curriculum Uses: I would use this book as a read aloud for younger students because it will help them feel loved, and maybe it will help them feel like the classroom environment that I am trying to create is much like the ambiance that this book creates. I would use this book for a guided reading selection, and I would also consider it for an independent reading book for students who are just transitioning into reading such books.
Literary Devices: This book uses repetition to help the readers understand the text better. The author also uses themes of nature throughout the book to get the tone and mood across. Finally, the book has symbolism, imagery, and personification.
Social Issues: nature’s influence
Illustrations and Text: The illustrations in this book are very unique in that at the end of the story, there is an explanation about each one of them. Each illustration has a connection to nature and has a specific meaning. The illustrations convey the author’s tone about nature and the loving mood of the book. The illustrations bring the pages to life and make the text more engaging.

[Guadalupe Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be used in so many different ways in the classroom. You can read to do a science lesson about Earth, discussing things like tides, forests, north pole, south pole, etc. The format of the writing is very poetic, great to teach children imaging and inferring for reading comprehension. You can also use this book to teach children about comparing with other books such as "On the Day I Was Born" by Debbi Chocolate

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book as a gift after my baby was born and I have since read it a number of times aloud and just to myself. This is a beautiful book, and I have to admit that I cried while reading it the first time. It situates a new baby in the context of the global ecosystem as well as human society, as all animals, nature, and people welcome this new life with open arms. A great book for affirming why one might choose to bring a new life to this spinning planet.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this for my son to read to him when he is a little older. I was in the bookstore about to check out and this caught my eye. I read it right then and there, and I must admit, I cried a little. What a wonderful children's book. A book that details the impact of child-birth, and how nature and our Universe play a big role in that. Charming and poetic, it will surely make any child feel connected to the universe, as they should.

[Susanna Hargreaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and colorful book about all the ways the Earth celebrated your birth. It would be a wonderful play or active reading activity. It is also a wonderful gift for a newborn baby’s library. It will be a favorite for sure.

[Nuno Rocha · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I ever read. Period.
I already bought maybe 10 copies to offer my friends when a new child come.
Beautiful book.

[Tanaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe this book was nice because it is easy for children to have a understanding about the earth. The book does a good job at explaining what is happening and makes child interested because it talks about the way the earth was preparing for the child. The animals were talking and telling all the different animals. I think children would enjoy it a lot.I gave this book 4 starts because some students may not be involved in the story.

[Britt Kitko]

Summary:Inspired by Debra Frasier's enormously popular On the Day You Were Born, this charming photo journal invites families to celebrate the arrival of their loved one into the natural world. A star-spangled blue sky, crossed by a swath of sunshine yellow with gold birds, introduces the reader to "the very first day you arrived." Baby's picture and name go right in the middle of all the cheery yellow. Turn the page: "You were born on the round planet Earth. Was it day, or was it night?" is printed with another space for a picture and a line to write the date and time of birth against the backdrop of more starry sky with that old blue and green globe plopped in the middle and a figure of a child frolicking across the ocean. On another page, the jubilant child dances across a beach: "On the day you were born waves washed the beaches clean for your footprints. How little were your fingers? How tiny were your toes?"
By adding eight photographs and filling in a few details, parents can create a very special journal for their child, rejoicing together in all the natural wonders of the universe. Here is an ideal gift for the new parents with a vibrant connection to nature. --Emilie Coulter

Audience:
- Reading level- Late early- Includes a lot of high frequency words
- Genre- Fiction
- Topic-birth, nature, welcoming newborns

Curricular uses: Read aloud- young children confused about how we come into the world may take something out of this book to help them understand. Older children could appreciate their new siblings by reading this book independently.

Social Issues: Birth is accepted as having a close connection with nature

Literary elements: Interactive text allows the reader to place themselves inside the text, gender of the children are not specified allowing either gender to feel a part of this text

Interactions and counteractions of text and image: text and images interact to be able to engage in the story as much as possible. The images are not very realistic and make such a deep subject less intense.

[Samantha Brumbaugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary: Inspired by Debra Frasier's enormously popular On the Day You Were Born, this charming photo journal invites families to celebrate the arrival of their loved one into the natural world. A star-spangled blue sky, crossed by a swath of sunshine yellow with gold birds, introduces the reader to "the very first day you arrived." Baby's picture and name go right in the middle of all the cheery yellow. Turn the page: "You were born on the round planet Earth. Was it day, or was it night?" is printed with another space for a picture and a line to write the date and time of birth against the backdrop of more starry sky with that old blue and green globe plopped in the middle and a figure of a child frolicking across the ocean. On another page, the jubilant child dances across a beach: "On the day you were born waves washed the beaches clean for your footprints. How little were your fingers? How tiny were your toes?"
Genre: Fictional Picture Book
Reading Level:This book is late transitional, This book has several sentences on each page. The font on each page is rather large and is spread out. The book has some high frequency words.
Topic: What occurred the day you were born, welcoming newborns
Curriculum Uses. This would be an guided reading book for children grades 2-3 or an independent read for children asking about how they came into the world.
Social Issues: This book discusses how the Earth came together and what the animals did on the day you were born. It looks at how your family came together to greet you during your entrance to the world.
Literary Elements: This book uses so much imagery. The book has amazing details and uses tons of adjectives such as "wrapped your wet, slippery body.
Illustrations & Text: The illustrations and the text go together very well. The illustrations show a somewhat whimsical world where the animals and people unite, like the text explains. The illustrations help the reader to better understand what the text says.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary:
Inspired by Debra Frasier's enormously popular On the Day You Were Born, this charming photo journal invites families to celebrate the arrival of their loved one into the natural world. A star-spangled blue sky, crossed by a swath of sunshine yellow with gold birds, introduces the reader to "the very first day you arrived." Baby's picture and name go right in the middle of all the cheery yellow. Turn the page: "You were born on the round planet Earth. Was it day, or was it night?" is printed with another space for a picture and a line to write the date and time of birth against the backdrop of more starry sky with that old blue and green globe plopped in the middle and a figure of a child frolicking across the ocean. On another page, the jubilant child dances across a beach: "On the day you were born waves washed the beaches clean for your footprints. How little were your fingers? How tiny were your toes?"
By adding eight photographs and filling in a few details, parents can create a very special journal for their child, rejoicing together in all the natural wonders of the universe. Here is an ideal gift for the new parents with a vibrant connection to nature. --Emilie Coulter

Potential Audience (Reading level): K-4

Genre:


Topic:



Specific Curricular uses:

Social issues the book addresses:


Specific literary elements:


Interactions and counter actions of text and images:

[Antionea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful book. This told a story for children of how babies are born, its in a meaningful manner without being to specific for babies that every wonder where and how babies are born. There is no main character the story is expressed with using mother nature, the atmosphere and the earths involvement of how babies are created.
As the story is being told there are beautiful pictures being to express the meaning for example the earth "The earth spins and gravitates you so your promised to never leave the earth, and in the picture is a baby on the earth picking a flower from the ground.
Till finally after the earth the sun flowers stars have been involve of creating a baby there are people surrounding the baby singing as they welcome the baby, what i did notice about the baby being welcomes in is that their were different colored of races and i liked the idea because its showing children at a young age that we can all be one instead of segregated even though they are not aware of segregation yet.
I gave this book a five star because i like hoe creative of explaining to children how babies are born its funny but cute at the same time.
The literary of the book was very different their were solid colors the characters were not detailed to well but that was a way for the children to focus on the story, also the letter were curved it was very friendly for the children to read and the letters were big making it easier for the young children to read a long.

[Stephanie Delvecchio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Offering a curious amalgam of the mystical and the scientific, Frasier's first picture book is a paean to nature and to birth. The poetic text explains how the sun, moon, ocean tides, rain, trees, air, animals and people of the world work together to create a welcoming setting for a baby's arrival. Young readers will find Frasier's rhythmic passages soothing, if not always entirely comprehensible: "On the day you were born the Moon pulled on the ocean below, and, wave by wave, a rising tide washed the beaches clean for your footprints. . . ." The volume concludes with notes on the natural and technical phenomena mentioned in the text, including animal migration, the rotation of the earth, gravity, stellar constellations and precipitation. Illustrating this unusual book, Frasier's paper collages feature a mostly muted palette of earth tones that is somewhat lacking in child appeal. Though it might spark interesting discussions with an older child, this work will be over the heads of little ones. Thank you Amazon!

Themes: Life, the cycles of the Earth

Curricular Uses: Independent reading for early readers.

[Jeanette Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this book as a baby gift from an environmental scientist. A decade later, I'm still reading it with my "baby." With simple paper cut illustrations and lyrical text, this book reassures a child they are loved by their parents and community, and an essential part of the natural world that they have been born into. The end matter delves deeper into the science behind each illustration, and is great for older children. The main text of the book is a wonderful read aloud for your newborn or baby.
I have in turn given this book as a baby gift to other expectant parents. It is not as well known as some other popular baby shower book gifts, but it's message of "welcome to the world, we are so glad you're here" is universal.
The book is appropriate for all families - there are many skin tones represented, there is no specific family structure presented, the "you" is a genderless abstract child shape, and the book is general enough to be an adoption gift as well as a gift for birth parents. The focus is on the child, and the child being encircled by love by the whole world.

[Abigail Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the Day you Were Born tells a sweet story of all the things that happened when ‘you’ were born. It starts by spreading the word of the new arrival through the animals. Then it tells how the earth, sun and moon got ready for the arrival of a new life. It then tells of how the earth defied gravity when ‘you’ came into the world. In the end the book tells of all the things the earth does when it welcomes ‘you’ into the world. At the end of the book there is a section that goes into great detail of just how the world does these things for ‘you’. It tells how the earth spins, how animals migrate, how gravity pulls objects in, how the sun is hot, how the tide rises and so on. This piece is a great book to show how the world works as it gives simplified and detailed explanation on how concepts are existent.

[Lana Clifton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my longstanding favorites that has held residence on my bookshelf for over ten years. I have read this book aloud more than any other because I recognize the importance of helping children to maintain their connection to all living things on earth. Fraisier's message is universal. Timeless. She helps inspire many open-ended discussions; such as defining what gravity is, introducing photosynthesis, learning about endangered species, migration patterns, planetary movements and rotations, and even environmental protection. She helps teachers and parents to introduce these concepts without complexity, by first speaking directly to the child-- with words and artwork that will germinate a foundation for further exploration.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book, especially one to give to expecting parents to read to their baby when he-she is born. It's a beautiful way to tell your child they are loved and appreciated. The whole world from the trees making oxygen for them to breath to the loving and familiar voices at the time of the baby's birth was getting ready for the baby to be born. The artistic way the pictures were done makes the story that much more enjoyable. As an adult reading it outloud brings back all those emotions of the first time I saw each one of my babies and my grandbaby "On the Day You were Born"... A close friend of mine that is a 6th grade teacher purchased this book for when my third child, my first son, was born and we've enjoyed it since.

[Terry Marzell]

Frasier, Debra. On the Day You Were Born. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company. 1991. Parents’ Choice Award. Target Audience: Ages 4-10. Reading Level: 5.1. The images are enthralling, featuring nature scenes depicted in primitive art forms using vivid colors. I notice circles on nearly every page, reminiscent of “the circle of life.” It’s hard to single out one or two illustrations for special mention; they are all so beautiful. The text reads like free verse. A Notes section at the back of the book gives more detail about the scientific topics presented in the pages, for example, gravity, tides, photosynthesis, and astronomy. I absolutely love how this book conveys to a child how welcome, how special, and how cherished, s/he is to the world. Tag: CSULB Class 2 Picturebook.

[Wench · Rating 5 out of 5]

We got this book as a gift at our shower for Baby of Wench. I read it while pregnant and I cannot even tell you how many hormones leaked down my face. We read it at bedtime sometimes and I still get choked up.

What I like:
*Not explicitly religious, although it definitely has a Pagan feel to it. I'm a witch, so this is a plus.
*Includes kid-friendly scientific explanations and background to each page of the book.
*People of all different colors feature, and there's more than token dark-skinned people.
*Doesn't specify "your mom and dad welcomed you", etc., just that the child was welcomed.
*Beautiful, richly-colored illustrations
*Easy-to-read, big text. Except for the end pages, all the text is black, and almost all of it is on a white background.

[Shayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very special book. It explains what happened before you were born. It talks about how excited the earth, animals, fish, and flying birds are about you being born into the earth. It talks about how you came into your family and how much they love you.
This book touches the hearts of those who read it. It is very well done. The pictures are great, they almost look like Native American drawings, very simple, yet elegant. This books tries to leave the interpretation of the text up to the reader.
I would use this book as a bed time book for my children. When you read it you are calmed. It has many beautiful words, and symbols included for children to wonder about. To know that their parents love them and that they are grateful to have you in their lives.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book celebrating the mystery of the natural world and the sacred moment of birth ("On the day you were born/ the round planet Earth/ turned toward your morning sky,/ whirling past darkness,/ spinning the night into light.") Although I think some of the specific poetic descriptions go over the heads of young children, the vivid and powerful images convey a sense of wonder regardless of whether you understand what the tides are or what migration is. (There's a nice informational page in the back explaining some of the natural phenomena mentioned in the book - for older kids to read, or for parents to read to younger kids.)

[Whole And · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly warm and welcoming message to read to your little ones for years. Frasier has made it easy to make connections to nature with beautiful images and verses, weaving into the tapestry of joy and love when receiving a little soul.

Children will feel the love of all those anticipating their birth and parents will reconnect with the pure bliss of holding their new baby every time they read this book.

Through Fraisers telling of 'On The Day You Were Born' the door to our hearts opens wide and gives us the opportunity to retell our children the importance of their presence in our lives and to integrate the magnificence of the inter-connectivity or our shared home, planet earth.

[Voracious_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mirror images of the miracle of birth/the miracles of nature explored in age appropriate, interesting ways. I have a feeling that this book will age well. The story is simple enough for a three- year old to enjoy reading it. Ours is entertained by the descriptions of nature/animals and simple graphic illustrations. When she's a little older, she'll me moved by the meaning and emotional components of the story (I hope). Note: this is not a religious book, as many birth celebration books are; it's also not overtly pagan: it doesn't ask a child to worship nature, but notes the wonder that natural occurrences, like a sunrise, inspire and that a child's birth is a cause for celebration.

[Arielle Hitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Day You Were Born, written by Debra Frasier, was awarded the Parents Choice award. Frasier's first picture book is a paean to nature and to birth. The poetic text explains how the sun, moon, ocean tides, rain, trees, air, animals and people of the world work together to create a welcoming setting for a baby's arrival. Young readers will find Frasier's rhythmic passages soothing, if not always entirely comprehensible. Frasier's paper collages feature a mostly muted palette of earth tones that is somewhat lacking in child appeal. I gave this book four stars because it is very descriptive towards nature and birth and I believe it is a great book for mothers and their children to read.

[Daphne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book was another one I borrowed from church. I think it's okay...but I didn't like it nearly as much as Love Song for a baby...

Though it did win the parents' choice gold award....

Here's an exerpt:
On the eve of your birth, word of your coming passed from animal to animal...and the marvelous news migrated worldwide.

Come across our round planet as the moon pulls, the tides rise, the rain falls, and then a baby is born. Join in Debra Frasier's celebration of our natural world as she extends a loving welcome to each member of our human family - including you!