The Day No One Played Together

When I was laying out my ideas for this project a year ago, I never thought it would grow to the magnitude that is has grown today. The one thing that I did know was that the only way I was going to keep the vow I made to myself to be more open to reading different types of genres would be to make it public. So here I am 39 weeks in and I have been asked to review books not only for my book club but for other websites as well. I never dreamed I would read a children's book since I don't have kids myself. However, I am a child at heart and it is my honor to bring you my review below:

 

Sisters Jadyn and Genesis want to play, but they can't decide what they should do on such a beautiful summer day. Each has a great idea but they don't want to play what the other wants. So they end up playing alone and it is, frankly, no fun. They try all morning to find something they can do together, but to no avail. It's not until their mom teaches them about the concept of compromise that they discover a valuable lesson. By working together to incorporate both of their ideas, they will be able to play together, have lots of fun and make each other happy as only sisters should.

 

Reading this book brought back some memories that I haven't thought of in a very long time. I remember playing with my neighbor friend and hearing her say that if I didn't want to play what she wanted, she was going to go home. There was no compromising in her world. Oh how I wish this book was written back then. It probably would have done wonders for our friendship!

 

I love picture books, and the illustrations inside The Day No One Played by Donalisa Helsley are beautiful. The facial expressions are portrayed in such a way that you can feel every emotion that Jadyn and Genesis are feeling. I remember feeling like them a time or two when I was a child.

 

Learning about the value of compromise at a young age will give siblings the opportunity to see just how important it is to work together. Every family should have this book in their library and refer to it often as it is a book that can definitely be read more than once! However, the value of compromise taught in this book should not be limited to families. The message is universal and can easily be relatable in the classroom. That is why I believe this is a not only a great teaching aid for parents but for educators as well. Reiterating the concept in both settings will go a long way in teaching children how to be successful in all aspects of life.