Parents' Guide to

One Day (2023)

Book Joanna Ho Picture Book 2023
One Day cover image: Asian mother left holds Asian baby center wrapped in blanket

Common Sense Media Review

JK Sooja By JK Sooja , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 4+

A mother's beautiful poem of hope and love for her baby boy.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 4+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In ONE DAY, an Asian American mother wishes her baby son a wonderful future, while also recounting many of their daily activities.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

The positive and hopeful messages in this warm picture book are poetically framed. And dreamy and bright illustrations by Faith Pray shine from page to page in One Day. Many pages show the mother's daily life with her son, playing with him on a bed, bathing him, dancing with him in front of a mirror, or reading him books at night. Other pages show what the mother imagines might be her son's childhood future, playing on the beach, exploring a forest, and going to school. There's a brief moment of conflict when some White boys make fun of and point at the boy while he cries in the rain, but the next page shows the boy triumphant, dancing in the rain puddles with a new friend.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about courage and curiosity in picture books. How does One Day show these?

  • The mother mentions bath time, reading time, and dancing time. Which is your favorite?

  • What games do you like playing most with your parent or caregiver?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended book lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate