'A beautiful and inclusive story that encourages children to find the beauty in their own lives and share it with the world. This gentle, powerful ode to diversity and acceptance belongs with all children.'- Shelf Awareness, starred review

Woodson's lulling free verse reassures the reader that the world will 'make some space, ' while López's dreamy, near-translucent mixed-media illustrations thrum with playful joy. Woodson and López offer a needed message of comfort to preschool and early elementary students. 'National Book Award winner and national treasure Jacqueline Woodson teams up with two-time Pura Belpré Award recipient Rafael López to deliver an empowering message to any child who has ever felt too different. And that sometimes, when we reach out and begin to share our stories, others will be happy to meet us halfway. Jacqueline Woodson's lyrical text and Rafael López's dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes-and how brave it is that we go forth anyway. It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you yet, but somehow you do it. Maybe it's how you look or talk, or where you're from maybe it's what you eat, or something just as random. There are many reasons to feel different. There will be times when you walk into a room National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson and two-time Pura Belpré Illustrator Award winner Rafael López have teamed up to create a poignant, yet heartening book about finding courage to connect, even when you feel scared and alone.

Other students laugh when Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela, introduces himself but later, he meets Angelina and discovers that he is not the only one who feels like an outsider.

Jacqueline woodson the day you begin