Title: Owen’s Day
Author: Vanessa Lyman Withers
Illustrator: Justin Mario Withers
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-7960-4079-1
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Pages: 34
Reviewed by: Barbara Miller

Read Book Review

Owen is a young boy who is taught the reasons why each part of his day has meaning; from waking up and dressing for the weather, brushing his teeth, having breakfast, going to school, then returning to his home for dinner and bedtime. If read over and over, it would have a Groundhog Day type of remembrance to the reading audience, yet that seems to be exactly what author Vanessa Lyman Withers had in mind; repetition of a routine so children can learn to perform what is expected of them throughout the day. The author has put her text to rhyme, clever for the most part yet seemingly strained at certain times, as she made words fit into the story in a two-line rhyming scheme.

Nevertheless, the accompanying illustrations are drawn with a simplicity exempli fying each of the steps Owen takes along the way of going throughout his day. Together, the text and images will provide a clear understanding to young children on how to do what’s needed by them, just as they see how Owen is going through his day.

Owen is the only character in this book, albeit his parents’ comments are continuously told to him in the story. I liked the lesson of brushing his teeth, as he is told to do it twice a day, which seems to be a highlight of the message and the only illustrations where readers actually see Owen’s teeth.

The book pages like a silent movie, without dialogue other than the words said to Owen by his parents written into the text. With an element of simplicity, well used for the younger of the reading audience, Owen’s Day is a training guide to instill the daily routine into young children, so they can perform all of the tasks they need to do each day. It’s easy for adults to know these things, but children need to be taught this, and Owen’s Day is a good book to be used as an example for children to learn by. It would seem best for pre-school through kindergarten, as taking the bus to school each day may pose some stress on youngsters, and this would help children deal with this activity. Owen sets an example to readers so they grow up to be strong, healthy and all have the brightest smiles because of their teeth-brushing twice a day!