"Happy Birthday Honey, it's your big day!"
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It's Your BIG Day by Catherine Mathis Trafford Publishing
book review by Lamisha Serf
It's Your Big Day is a sweet children's book that uses rhythmic prose to share one child's eager excitement for his special birthday celebration. In this book the main character awakens on his birthday to find a disappointing array of events that lead him to believe his beloved parents have forgotten his special day. He retreats to his room sad and deflated, and quickly falls asleep where he dreams of a big group of children singing and celebrating his birthday. Upon waking, he quickly realizes that it was all a dream and that his parents didn't forget his big day after all. Relieved, he quickly gets dressed so he can carry on with his wonderful birthday celebration.
Mathis has done a nice job creating an entertaining tale that children will love through her rhyming story and the brightly colored illustrations and images. Not only will children be able to relate to the main character's excitement, but they will also take comfort in knowing that their special day won't be forgotten either. In addition to the lively illustrations, the author has included two personal photographs along with a page specifically for the birthday child. On this page, children can write their name and include one of their own pictures of their birthday celebration at the end of the book as a memory of their own big day. The personalization page is a nice touch as it provides an opportunity for children to get involved in the story as they choose their own picture to include.
While the author's personal photographs take a little bit away from the personalization factor of this book, overall it is still a cute story that children will enjoy and would be a good gift for a young child on their big day.