The One Day House

by Julia Durango, Bianca Diaz (Illustrator)

Wilson dreams of all the ways he can help improve his friend Gigi’s house so that she’ll be warm, comfortable, and happy.

One day, friends and neighbors from all over come to help make Wilson's plans come true. Everyone volunteers to pitch in to make Gigi's house safe, clean, and pretty.

Inspired by a friend’s volunteerism, author Julia Durango tells a story of community and togetherness, showing that by helping others we help ourselves. Further information about Labor of Love, United Way, and Habitat for Humanity is included at the end of the book.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Friendship, Childrens, Fiction, Poverty, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2017

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young boy named Wilson longs to be able to help his elderly neighbor Gigi in this engaging picture-book about cross-generational friendship and community engagement, envisioning all the ways he will one day repair and improve her house. His ideas find a receptive and enthusiastic audience with various community members, from the ice cream man to his teacher, and eventually "one day" arrives...

Inspired, according to author Julia Durango's note, by an annual community event in LaSalle County, Illinois, in which neighbors volunteer to repair the homes of the elderly, disabled and needy, The One Day House offers a poignant look at the power of community engagement, in addressing the needs of our most vulnerable citizens. I particularly appreciated the historical context Durango provided, in tying such activities to the long-standing American tradition, dating back all the way to colonial days, of community self-help and aid. I also appreciated artist Bianca Diaz's illustrations, which make use of collage and painted elements to depict a vivid, colorful world, one that is beautiful, even if impoverished. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about cross-generational friendship, community involvement, and creative responses to poverty.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so love the heart of this story. The grandmother's life is rich with love, even if she is financially poor. She never loses sight of what is important in her life, even as her young grandson wants her to have a better home, even as she would welcome a better home. Her grandson says, "One day, I will paint your house orange and yellow like the sun." But she replies, "I will like that. But today, you are all the sunshine I need." Another time, he says, "One day, I will fix your piano so you can have music to play again," "I will like that," she replies, "But today, you are the song in my heart." It's heartwarming how her grandson sees her need and inspires the neighbors to involved to help make his dreams for his grandmother a reality, and her astonishment, joy and gratitude are so palpable in the illustrations. The Author's Note explains that the inspiration for the book came from her writing partner and friend, Bill Cairns, who is a carpenter by trade and has volunteered his time and talents for fifteen years to help repair homes of the elderly, disabled and needy in the community through the Labor of Love event.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilson wishes that one day he will be able to help Gigi in many ways. He says that one day he will paint her house yellow like the sun, but Gigi assures him that he is all the sunshine she needs. Wilson wants to build a fence for her yard, fix her stairs so she can climb them again, fix her piano so it can be played once more. He wants to create a garden for her and fix her roof. There are so many things to fix and Wilson can’t do them by himself. Luckily though, Wilson asks for help and the community turns out to help Gigi and have Wilson’s wishes for her come true.

Inspired by an action day in the community the author lives in, this book shows the power of community to help the elderly and those with disabilities live in safe and functional homes. Details on this sort of community involvement is offered in the Author’s Note at the end of the book. The young character in the book discovers the program at the beginning and has to wait several months and seasons for the help to come. There is no quick fix here, it’s people coming together to make a difference.

The illustrations are rich and bright, showing Wilson’s own art as well as depicting the friendship between young and old vividly. Done in watercolor, gouache and acrylic, the art is filled with the bright colors of an urban setting, lit by a sunlit sky.

A call to communities to come together, this picture book is inspiring. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you want to cry like a little baby?  Do you want your heart to be so full of joy that it almost actually explodes?  Do you want affirmation that there's something good in the world?  If so, this book is for you.  It pieces together hope, love, and community action in a way that's sweet, endearing, and positive.  This book shows that we can make the world a better place because we can, no questions asked, for nothing in return.  It's a beautiful book with an even more beautiful message.  This should not only find a place on your bookshelf, but in your heart, too.

Review cross-listed here!

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read aloud about altruism and community spirit. Also a beautiful example of friendship between an elderly person and a child. Vibrant mixed media art.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia Durango's new picture book about caring for neighborhood friends is about Wilson, who wants to fix up the house of his elderly neighbor, Gigi. With the assistance of his community friends, Wilson is able to help Gigi have a better home. The Bianca Diaz illustrations are perfect using many artistic ways (watercolor, gouache, acrylic, india ink, pencils, crayons, markers and handmade paper) to portray aging community buildings. The author cites the "labor of love" in her La Salle County, Illinois where local relief charities with the help of Habitat for Humanity and The United Way are making repair of needy homes a priority! This story is inspirational for children and adults of all ages to help their neighbors! (Grades K-2 Picture Book.)

[Elizabeth]

Minh Lê‏'s "Best Picture Books of 2017" gave this an Honorable Mention for "Best Surprise."

Young Wilson tells a neighborhood elder Gigi about how "one day" he will do things to improve the house she lives in. It's very sweet -- accompanied by childlike drawings of his plans -- and she affirms him while also affirming that being with him right now is joy enough. I really appreciated the multiracial community we see throughout the pages and then oh! The unexpected ending is so sweet! I almost got teary!

[Kalynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love for a grandmother, and a community coming together. As I was reading, I thought the focus of the story was the powerful mindset and perspective of the grandmother, which was truly a gift for all ages. But the end...what a smile!

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about helping your neighbors, this would be a great book for promoting Habitat for Humanity or Doing Good Together.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored the illustrations in this book, especially those “drawn” by the protagonist. It’s incredibly sweet each time he mentions an improvement he wants to make to his Gigi’s house, but the fact that they actually transpire is absolutely heartwarming.

[Marissa Elera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually got chills when the twist came. So wonderful to see a child be able to make a real, tangible difference around him. Empowering and wonderful.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's so much that's beautiful about this book and that other reviewers have described already. I'd just like to add the POWERFUL VALUE this book could have as a READ ALOUD and CONVERSATION STARTER in k-2 classrooms. Yes, you can talk about community philanthropy and so forth, but there's also Durango's IDEA OF "ONE DAY"--the idea of dreaming, dreaming small, dreaming big, dreaming about helping others. Children could use this as a mentor text to write their own "One day" books.

THE IDEA OF "WHAT'S ENOUGH?" - because frequently the grandmother's (Gigi's) response to the little boy Wilson is "yes I could have this...but today, I have all the...that I need." Wilson says one day he'll build a fence around her house so that she can have a dog to keep her company and Gigi responds, "I will like that...but today, I have all the company I need." Our young students can infer that Wilson is enough company for Gigi and discuss "What does that mean?" Again, children could use this as a mentor text - "One day" and "But today, I have all the....that I need."

The last page is also worthy of a thoughtful discussion -
"One day," said Gigi, "is a very nice day indeed."
"One day," said Wilson, "is the best day ever."
Gigi smiled, "The very best," she agreed. "Just like you."

[Syntaxx · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was really cute. i liked the illustrations and message.

i wish the lead-up to the neighbors banding together to fix miss gigi's house was more explicit. as it's written, it kinda seems like the adults are brushing off the kid, then all of sudden with no foreshadowing they descend on the old lady's house.

[Emma Falduto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talked about a grandchild that wanted to fix his grandmother's house. He talked about all of his ideas for how to help and then all of the neighbors came and helped him. It was very heartwarming and children would love it.

[Katlin Cap · Rating 5 out of 5]

A boy, Wilson, dreams of fixing up his Gigi’s house. Wilson tells everyone in his community about the house he is going to one day build for his grandmother.

Themes/Topics: Family, Community, hope

Helping others and coming together are the main messages in this story making it a great book for both instructional and interest-based reading.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story, especially in this season of giving. It is based off a true organization. It was wonderful, so is the organization.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful picture book where a boy promises “one day” to help his grandma fix up different parts of her house. Then, the community comes together to do it all.

I wish it wasn’t over simplified but went just one more level deeper into the humanity part of it. I feel like the illustrations tell more of the story than the words do.

Speaking of illustrations, I LOVED them, especially the math and doodles that make it look like Wilson’s own drawings. The community pictures at the end were equally touching and brought even more to the book.

Authors note is also touching and necessary when reading to kiddos!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of us dream of the things that will happen or that we will do one day. In this brightly-colored picture book, Wilson is determined to make friends for Gigi, an elderly neighbor with whom he spends a lot of time. No doubt she's heard these sorts of promises before or dreamed of making things better herself, but nothing has come of it. But Wilson not only talks about what he's going to do, he takes action, even enlisting the help of others in the area as they spruce up Gigi's place. One of the features of this book that make it particularly appealing is how Wilson envisions what needs to be done, and then makes notes about how to make those changes. He even thinks about how many boards and nails will be needed to fence in her yard or what will be needed to clean her chimney or tune her piano, and readers can see his figurings along the side of some of the pages. By the time the story concludes, my heart was nearly as full as Gigi's must have been, and it overflowed once I read the Author's Note describing the inspiration for the story from a LaSalle County, Illinois, event that provides this sort of assistance to those in need. I was blown away, inspired, and grateful to know that such compassion still exists. The inspiring story, sure to offer ideas to others about how they, too, can make a difference in the lives of those around them, is accompanied by collage illustrations, created with watercolor, gouache, acrylic paint, India ink, colored pencils, crayons, cutouts from magazines, photo transfers, and handmade paper. These are filled with light and sunshine, just as Wilson and the other volunteers brought joy into Gigi's life. She may have gotten tired of dreaming and hoping that anything would ever change, which makes what happened all the better.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that brought me to tears. A boy and a community get together to repair his grandmother’s house. Close to home. My students are always dreaming of owning a house. One warned me if I went there I would only find an apartment. Another often tells me stories about getting a house then recants.

[Dulce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilbur, a young Latino boy, teaches us that you can make a difference, no matter how old you are, by bringing together his friends and neighbors to repair the house of his elderly friend Gigi. When Wilbur sees a sign on the outside window of the local café for “Building up Neighbors”, he begins to tell Gigi and people in the neighborhood his plans on the changes and repairs he would like to see done to Gigi’s home one day. When that day comes, everyone Wilbur has shared his plans with shows up to make Gigi’s house safe and beautiful again.
The illustrations in this book are a beautiful representation of a small low-income neighborhood, where the ice cream man’s truck has flavors in Spanish and English and you can see one of the neighbors collecting cans in a shopping cart. The details in these illustrations add to the story itself, such as Wilbur being in a Bilingual classroom because of the Spanish and English labels around the classroom, as well as help visualize Wilbur’s ideas when hand –drawn illustrations of some of his plans are shown.
This would be a great book for students K-3 who are learning about making a difference, their community, and helping others.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book with a heartfelt story based on a boy determining that he will help his grandma repair things inside and outside of her home "one day". The community, which seems at first passively, verbally supportive, surprises the grandmother by showing up in her yard "one day" and helping her with all the things that need repair and improvement. It is very simple, but incredibly positive message and also a joy to read.

The author's inspiration for the book is her friend who for the past 15 years participated in "our community's annual Labor of Love event, a day each fall where hundreds of volunteers come together to help repair the homes of the elderly, disabled, and needy....Roofs are patched,windows are replaced, boilers are fixed, trees are trimmed - whatever needs doing gets done. Local businesses donated building supplies, and church and charity groups work together to feed the volunteers throughout the day. It truly is a labor of love - an amazing display of human compassion and generosity at its best."

This book was awarded a 2018 Ezra Jack Keats, New Illustrator Honor.

[Kaci Noyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story about how a young boy wants to make a better home for an older woman named Gigi. He has many suggestions, though some may not be realistic, but he is not able to do this on his own. One day, he gains support of the whole community and they are able to make a dream home for Gigi.

I thought this was a very cute book and I loved how it was intergenerational. Most children's book involve kids doing things for other kids, but this was was much more than that. I also loved how the entire community comes together to do something great. It is very inspirational.

This could be used in the classroom as a lesson on helping other and how you don't have to do it alone. It is sometimes best to come together to do something kind for someone else. This could be followed by a class community project.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young boy wants to do so much for his grandmother and not only does he wish these things, he draws a picture of them. Bianca Diaz creates the illustrations in her own style, but in the boy’s youthful style too. The boy Wilson says, “One day, I will paint your house orange and yellow like the sun.” Gigi, the grandmother smiled. “I will like that. But today, you are all the sunshine I need.” The story continues with more of Wilson’s wishes and at the end, there is a big surprise.
Julia Durango tells there is a story behind this story about a tradition in her small town called “Labor of Love Day” where many volunteer to fix the needs of some repairs in their homes. She adds links to Habitat for Humanity and other similar organizations.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely new picture book about a little boy who dreams of making life better for an elderly neighbor by making repairs to her home, planting a garden, and mending her piano. As he shares that dream with others in their neighborhood, a cadre of helpers, caring souls with good hearts, join forces to make the dream come true.

I especially liked the author's note who described the annual Labor of Love event held in LaSalle County, Illinois, that served as the inspiration for the story. She refers readers to Habitat for Humanity and United Way for ideas of how they can be of help in a similar manner.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilson promises Gigi, an elderly lady who lives in his neighborhood, that one day he will fix all of the broken things in her old house. When the day finally arrives, the little boy and a small army of neighbors show up with sleeves rolled up and love in their hearts. This awesome picture book is an inspiration to everyone to serve their neighbors. In a world where there is so much bad news, this wonderful story reminds us the importance of being connected to each other. The last page has an author’s note describing her own community’s efforts to help elderly neighborhoods and ways readers can try similar efforts in their own cities.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilson loves his Gigi and wants so badly to be able to fix up her house so that she can enjoy her life the way she wants to. He tells her his plans and he tells all of his friends how he can improve her life. The community comes together to help Wilson realize his dream of improving his grandmother's house, emphasizing just how powerful the goodwill of friends and neighbors can be. The collage style illustrations interspersed with children's drawings brings the story to life for readers who can easily imagine doing something like this for one of their loved ones.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring story of kindness and helping your neighbor.

Wilson expresses his altruistic ambition to help Gigi fix up her house to everyone he meets. While Gigi seems happy as she is, she is overwhelmed when many people in their community show up and repair her house. Durango's tale was inspired by a friend who helps similar events happen in their community. Her debut book, Bianca Diaz successfully uses mixed media to visually tell the story, as it occurs in a very diverse neighborhood.

Hopefully this will inspire some young people to action!

[Margaret Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

1/27/2018 ~~ A lovely look at a community coming together to assist a woman in maintaining her home. The illustrations are an interesting compilation of the neighborhood - Wilson sitting with Gigi AND Wilson's sketches of what he'll do for Gigi and her home "one day."

The text has a lyrical rhythm and repeated phrases that will be a pleasure to read aloud. The book would make an excellent kick-off to a community service project.

The only thing I wish this book had was a bit more about the planning and organization Wilson did to effect his "one day" plan for Gigi's house.

[Steve Holden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very sweet and enjoyable read. The illustrations are wonderful, and really help add to the overall mood this story inspires. There are a lot of positive messages to takeaway from this read. One is the power of being in the company of those you love each day. A second is how powerful the help of a community of people you love can be, and what they can accomplish in a short period of time. It's difficult to not smile as you read and finish this one!

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this story, a compassionate boy wants to fix up his grandmother's house to make her day-to-day life better. Before the story begins there is a sign for "Build Up Neighbors" so there is no surprise when the neighborhood comes together to help fix Gigi's house and fence. The author recommends similar programs at the end (Labor of Love, United Way, and Habitat for Humanity) if readers know of anyone in need.