Gratitude, intentionality, and blessings: what a beautiful book!

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Join Dayo as she wakes and tries to figure out what the singing yellow bird from her dream means. Throughout her day, Dayo shows gratitude for her blessings, her family, and her ancestors, and the intentionality that surrounds her actions is beautiful. She is grateful for the beautiful breakfast her Dad made, the fact that her Dad isn't working on a Saturday, and that her friend Anaya and Anaya's Grandma Rose invited her over.

Before she leaves, Dayo joins her Mama and Dad to clean the house, visit the altar, and show gratitude to her Ancestors. All throughout her day, she wonders about the little yellow bird in her dream.

After she gathers garden gifts for Anaya and heads to her friend's house, Dayo finds a penny and is grateful to her Ancestors. Soon, she finds dimes and offers more gratitude. At Anaya's house, Grandma Rose invites Dayo in and they share lunch in a beautiful outdoor dining room with a glass ceiling. They eat a watermelon and orange salad, and the entire time, Dayo is wondering about her dream. When Dayo sees little yellow birds on Grandma Rose's apron, she shares the connection with her dream. A gift of a beautiful mirror ends Dayo's beautiful day, and as Dayo reflects on her day and her dream with her parents, she tells them that she thinks the yellow bird from her dream represents joy and good fortune. Dayo's day was definitely filled with these things, but the gratitude that she shows to everyone in her life and to her Ancestors is so beautiful as well. This book became an instant favorite for me because it gives readers so much to talk about. Dayo's thoughtfulness, her family's traditions, and the gratitude shown for the beauty given on each page is powerful.

This book is a book that readers will want to read again and again for the reasons I mentioned, and the beautiful illustrations also include so much detail that young readers will want to make sure to see everything and to look for the yellow birds that are on many of the pages. I also love that a recipe for Grandma Rose's Watermelon & Orange Salad is included! YUM! I hope this is just the first of many books as Dayo practices becoming a spiritual detective because she is a main character that readers will love! This book is highly recommended for all homes, schools, and libraries.

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-Jolene Gutierrez