Published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers on November 19, 2024
Genres: Children's
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Perfect for graduation, Thanksgiving, and the new year, Each Day is a Gift is a beautiful present that encourages gratitude for children
When we receive "a brand-new bike kind of gift" or "a trip-to-the-amusement-park kind of gift," it's easy to be grateful. But when we encounter an "extremely un-asked-for" gift, it can be harder to appreciate what matters. Full of wisdom and affirmations, this thoughtful picture book shows the beauty in everyday living, making it a standout in gratitude books for kids.
Each Day Is a Gift gently reveals how gifts' purposes are not always clear immediately, and while we can't choose what gifts we receive, we can choose how to use them. Detlefsen's prose describes events that we might not consider gifts at first in ways that makes us thankful, and Vasilica's light-filled illustrations show how even the hardest things can be made meaningful. Together, they encourage us to embrace each day with mindfulness.
Give this great children's book as a gift for a new baby, for elementary graduation, high school graduation, or as a birthday gift book for someone special in your life.
Each Day is a Gift is a straightforward reminder of how each new day brings us some new thing, new experience, or new challenge. We can’t choose what gifts to receive, but we can choose how we use them. While Lisl Detlefsen’s words are exhortative and encouraging, I can’t help but think that they aren’t always true. Each Day is a Gift is a platitude. And a lot hangs on our definition of gift. Is a gift simply something that is given to us? A surprise that is thrust upon us and we must react with appreciation even we are not appreciative at all? Or is a gift something we actually want, something that was selected with us in mind, something that benefits us and brings us joy and flourishing?
For Detlefsen, the definition is definitely the former. In the book, she explains that some days are like birthday-bike level gifts—a big new thing that we love. Other days are like socks-and-clothes-gifts. Not as fun, but very useful. Still other days are gifts we don’t want, which is illustrated through the death of a pet. Yet, even those gifts are opportunities to learn and grow.
And, yes, I suppose if the first two types of gifts heavily outweigh the latter, then maybe the concept of the book works as something more than a platitude. But the more of the latter a life has, the more like gaslighting the book seems. What good are gifts if they are always bad? I don’t know that we need to frame the difficulties of life as gifts—especially in a book to children. The nuance and context of that framing can be difficult for adults to grasp. I think it is altogether fair to look at the difficulties of life and say “this is not a gift.” Rather, the gift is what comes out of those difficulties. God brings beauty from ashes, but does not create the ashes. That’s what I think this book misses.
So while Each Day is a Gift is sincere and well-intentioned, for me personally it misses the mark in this one rather important area.