A Picture Day to Remember

A Picture Day To Remember is a cute story that shows young readers that our differences can be celebrated and make us wonderfully unique. 

Lola is a young girl who is feeling insecure on picture day and prefers to hide under her big red hat. After a slow build to the story, readers understand why Lola is feeling uneasy about showing her face -- she has lots of beautiful freckles! Through Lola's struggle and her classmates' reactions, young readers learn about the importance of kindness, empathy and inclusion (a great message at any age).

Due to the longer sections of text, this picture book would be a good choice for kids ages 5+ years of age. The illustrations by Dutch illustrator Nynke Boelen are simple but convey the message well and I appreciated and quickly noted the diversity of the characters. 

This is a heartwarming picture book that shows how wonderful it is to build other people up and appreciate them for their differences. This book is perfect for reading at home or in the classroom.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this picture book in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Natalia Paruzel-Gibson

Illustrator: Nynke Boelen

Genre: Picture Book, Canadian

Type and Source: Hardcover picture book from author

Publisher: Clavis Publishing

First Published: March 7, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: It’s picture day at school! All the kids come dressed and ready for it! But not Lola. Lola hides under a big red hat. She is just too self-conscious about her freckles- she has always been! But her classmate Nassim has a clever solution, and in no time, her friends rally behind Lola. Surely enough, the hat comes off and Lola feels confident to celebrate her uniquely, beautiful freckles.

A thoughtful book about insecurities and self-confidence, but especially about the power of friendship. For children with and without freckles ages 5 years and up.