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Around Our Way on Neighbors' Day: A Picture Book
Neighbors gather on a hot summer day for a joyful block party: Kids play double Dutch; men debate at the barber shop and play chess; mothers and aunts cook up oxtail stew, collard greens, and other delicious treats; and friends dance and sway as jazz floats through the streets.
A rhythmic tale that celebrates the diversity of a close-knit community, Around Our Way on Neighbors' Day will excite readers and prompt them to discover the magic of their own special surroundings.
A rhythmic tale that celebrates the diversity of a close-knit community, Around Our Way on Neighbors' Day will excite readers and prompt them to discover the magic of their own special surroundings.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2010
1 person is currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Tameka Fryer Brown
9 books54 followersChildren's book author. Montessori mom. Reads banned books.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 17, 2017
Blue sky, night stars.
Not a care
Here where
Laughter fills the air
This, our day to celebrate
Where we stay -
Today,
AROUND OUR WAY.
This is a story told in poetry form about a young black girl who explores her neighborhood on Neighbor's Day - a big neighborhood party.
The story is told in rhyme, and the rhyme is a bit strange.
Look, here comes the ice-cream man!
Holding money in our hands,
We chase him down for frozen treats.
Quick! Lick before it runs.
Reading this out loud I have to say it doesn't exactly flow.
What is great about this book is the idea and the scenes of a multi-cultural and multiracial community coming together, helping each other, and celebrating together. Riley-Webb's pictures show black, white, Asian, and Latino people cooking, playing, and partying together. As we follow our young narrator through the streets of the neighborhood, she knows everyone and calls them by name. Uncle Charlie, the Lindsay triplets, Mr. O and Mr. Wong, Mr. Lee, Tante Elise, Mr. Junior, Ms. Consuelo, and Ms. Fu.
Kids play double-dutch on the street. She passes her uncle and grandfather arguing in the barbershop - men debating for hours there is a familiar sight to her. She passes the old Asian men in the park who play chess all day long. Kids are playing basketball. Her mom is making macaroni and cheese. Other people come with their own dishes: gumbo, oxtail stew, rice and beans, collard greens, and grilled lime chicken. Music is played, salsa is danced. Men play dominoes, Bid Whist, and spades. Kids ride their bikes and skateboards.
The night ends with our MC dancing with her dad - he does dorky robot moves - and listening to her uncle playing jazz on his saxophone.
This kind of neighborhood friendliness and pride and unity is one of the book's strongest points.
Another strong point is Riley-Webb's illustrations, which convey a lot of movement, color, and activity in each picture. The pictures aren't what I usually like - they are loose and undefined - but it really works here. The vibrancy and the movement really comes through.
Mr. O and Mr. Wong
Playing chess the whole day long.
Big kids at the center, hooping -
Flying through the sky.
Blue sky, no clouds.
Home to see
Daddy
Helping Mr. Lee.
This is known as Neighbors' Day
Today, around our way.
This book is also very City. If you live in the City and want to read books about the City, there are some great children's books for you to choose from. Besides this one, there are
Sidewalk Flowers
Last Stop on Market Street
I'd recommend Tight Times, but that's more addressing poverty than city-living.
Tl;dr - Would I recommend this? Eh. It's got it's strong points - the paintings, the strong image of a working, loving urban neighborhood with strong family and community ties. However, I didn't find the poetry-like way of telling the story to be that smooth. And there's no real 'plot,' some children will be bored.
Ages 4-6.
Not a care
Here where
Laughter fills the air
This, our day to celebrate
Where we stay -
Today,
AROUND OUR WAY.
This is a story told in poetry form about a young black girl who explores her neighborhood on Neighbor's Day - a big neighborhood party.
The story is told in rhyme, and the rhyme is a bit strange.
Look, here comes the ice-cream man!
Holding money in our hands,
We chase him down for frozen treats.
Quick! Lick before it runs.
Reading this out loud I have to say it doesn't exactly flow.
What is great about this book is the idea and the scenes of a multi-cultural and multiracial community coming together, helping each other, and celebrating together. Riley-Webb's pictures show black, white, Asian, and Latino people cooking, playing, and partying together. As we follow our young narrator through the streets of the neighborhood, she knows everyone and calls them by name. Uncle Charlie, the Lindsay triplets, Mr. O and Mr. Wong, Mr. Lee, Tante Elise, Mr. Junior, Ms. Consuelo, and Ms. Fu.
Kids play double-dutch on the street. She passes her uncle and grandfather arguing in the barbershop - men debating for hours there is a familiar sight to her. She passes the old Asian men in the park who play chess all day long. Kids are playing basketball. Her mom is making macaroni and cheese. Other people come with their own dishes: gumbo, oxtail stew, rice and beans, collard greens, and grilled lime chicken. Music is played, salsa is danced. Men play dominoes, Bid Whist, and spades. Kids ride their bikes and skateboards.
The night ends with our MC dancing with her dad - he does dorky robot moves - and listening to her uncle playing jazz on his saxophone.
This kind of neighborhood friendliness and pride and unity is one of the book's strongest points.
Another strong point is Riley-Webb's illustrations, which convey a lot of movement, color, and activity in each picture. The pictures aren't what I usually like - they are loose and undefined - but it really works here. The vibrancy and the movement really comes through.
Mr. O and Mr. Wong
Playing chess the whole day long.
Big kids at the center, hooping -
Flying through the sky.
Blue sky, no clouds.
Home to see
Daddy
Helping Mr. Lee.
This is known as Neighbors' Day
Today, around our way.
This book is also very City. If you live in the City and want to read books about the City, there are some great children's books for you to choose from. Besides this one, there are
Sidewalk Flowers
Last Stop on Market Street
I'd recommend Tight Times, but that's more addressing poverty than city-living.
Tl;dr - Would I recommend this? Eh. It's got it's strong points - the paintings, the strong image of a working, loving urban neighborhood with strong family and community ties. However, I didn't find the poetry-like way of telling the story to be that smooth. And there's no real 'plot,' some children will be bored.
Ages 4-6.
October 30, 2016
1) Book summary: The neighbors joined together on one hot summer day and shared their food they cooked. The children all play in the street together. There is music playing, there is a little girl painting a mural on a building, and there is jazz music playing. I love how short and simple it was.
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile : The grade level for this book is preschool to 3rd grade, the interest level for it is 5-7 years old, and the lexile is 630l.
3) Appropriate classroom use (subject area): This just would be a book I would have on my reading shelf for the students to read.
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading : Any child can benefit from this book it not made for a certain race or gender.
5) Small group use (literary circles): I wouldn't use this during a small group setting.
6) Whole class use (read aloud): I wouldn't use this during a whole class use either.
7) Related books in genre/subject or content area : Last Stop on Market Street and On My Block Stories and Painting
8) Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available : Hardcover, Paperback
2) Grade level, interest level, lexile : The grade level for this book is preschool to 3rd grade, the interest level for it is 5-7 years old, and the lexile is 630l.
3) Appropriate classroom use (subject area): This just would be a book I would have on my reading shelf for the students to read.
4) Individual students who might benefit from reading : Any child can benefit from this book it not made for a certain race or gender.
5) Small group use (literary circles): I wouldn't use this during a small group setting.
6) Whole class use (read aloud): I wouldn't use this during a whole class use either.
7) Related books in genre/subject or content area : Last Stop on Market Street and On My Block Stories and Painting
8) Multimedia connections (audio book, movie) available : Hardcover, Paperback
December 2, 2018
A Round Our Way on Neighbors’ Day
Written By: Tameka Fryer Brown
Illustrated By: Charlotte Riley-Webb
Fountas & Pinnell: E
Book Level: 1st Grade
Book Summary: The story fallows a little girl who bebop’s through her neighborhood onto home before their block party. The whole way she’s rhyming with couplets
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Poetry, and Picture Book,
This is a contemporary realistic fiction because this scene could happen in any urban area.
This is a picture book due to the paintings that fill all the pages.
This is a poetry book due to the author rhyming with couplets.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits:
Word Choice: The author was intentional in choosing specific words in the story.
Sentence Fluency: The story could be a standalone poem. Every couple pages, Tameka, the author starts the text with; “Blue Sky, no clouds”. There’s an upbeat flow to the sentences as it’s read.
This book could be a part of a text set used in conjunction with a rhyming lesson or on a social studies unit talking about cities and families.
Written By: Tameka Fryer Brown
Illustrated By: Charlotte Riley-Webb
Fountas & Pinnell: E
Book Level: 1st Grade
Book Summary: The story fallows a little girl who bebop’s through her neighborhood onto home before their block party. The whole way she’s rhyming with couplets
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction, Poetry, and Picture Book,
This is a contemporary realistic fiction because this scene could happen in any urban area.
This is a picture book due to the paintings that fill all the pages.
This is a poetry book due to the author rhyming with couplets.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits:
Word Choice: The author was intentional in choosing specific words in the story.
Sentence Fluency: The story could be a standalone poem. Every couple pages, Tameka, the author starts the text with; “Blue Sky, no clouds”. There’s an upbeat flow to the sentences as it’s read.
This book could be a part of a text set used in conjunction with a rhyming lesson or on a social studies unit talking about cities and families.
January 26, 2023
Neighbors’ Day is a day where all of the people within this narrator’s community spend the day getting ready for a “block party” of sorts. The children spend most of the day playing, but towards the end of the day return home to witness their parent(s) cooking. The neighborhood then gets together for a party that goes into the night. This is about bringing diverse populations and neighborhoods together.
The illustrations were not in an artistic style that I enjoyed, but I think they’re interesting and diverse. There is a lot of bipoc representation, but the three white characters (a set of triplets selling lemonade) are essentially ignored by the narrator? I think too much focus was paid to “food” and more examples of culture could have been depicted.
The illustrations were not in an artistic style that I enjoyed, but I think they’re interesting and diverse. There is a lot of bipoc representation, but the three white characters (a set of triplets selling lemonade) are essentially ignored by the narrator? I think too much focus was paid to “food” and more examples of culture could have been depicted.
December 20, 2019
I loved the non-traditional rhyme scheme used in this book! Everyone is comfortable with the traditional/predictable ABAB or AABB couplet, but this one is a bit more complex and very well executed.
Blue sky, no clouds.
Time to go.
I know
I'll see them later on, so
I head home while they both stay
To play, around our way.
I peek in the barbershop.
Uncle Charlie and Grandpa
Are talking loud and arguing-
Debating with the men.
Run in quick to say "Hello"
And "Don't be late!" before I go
Strolling past the red oak tree.
I'm on my way again.
Blue sky, no clouds,
Corner store.
One more
Block to walk before
I'm home. It's a special day
Today, around our way.
Blue sky, no clouds.
Time to go.
I know
I'll see them later on, so
I head home while they both stay
To play, around our way.
I peek in the barbershop.
Uncle Charlie and Grandpa
Are talking loud and arguing-
Debating with the men.
Run in quick to say "Hello"
And "Don't be late!" before I go
Strolling past the red oak tree.
I'm on my way again.
Blue sky, no clouds,
Corner store.
One more
Block to walk before
I'm home. It's a special day
Today, around our way.
June 15, 2020
This book is FULL of movement and color. For kids who like pictures/are visual learners, this would be a good book to show them how people of many different cultures come together to make a community. I love the scenes/everyday details of the girl’s life in her neighborhood.
I give it four stars, because I agree with another reviewer who said that the poetry doesn’t flow well in places and some kids could get bored with the story. The poetry isn’t all bad, however. And the first few lines reminded me of Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem, "We Real Cool".
I give it four stars, because I agree with another reviewer who said that the poetry doesn’t flow well in places and some kids could get bored with the story. The poetry isn’t all bad, however. And the first few lines reminded me of Gwendolyn Brooks’ poem, "We Real Cool".
December 5, 2017
Culture! Culture! Culture! What an awesome way to display the diversity that we can find in a community. But most amazingly how we can put them together to create joy. I love how it is displayed in a rhythmic way just the the girls culture. It is colorful an joyful.
May 17, 2017
Peppy block party story. The art style probably would not lend itself to group sharing.
May 16, 2019
Good read-aloud for summer, with 5-8 y/o.
Read
November 16, 2020i cant read it
July 1, 2013
The cover and all the illustrations vibrate with color and energy. This is a sweet rhyming story about a little girl who is enjoying a very pleasant summer day in her neighborhoood. The illustrations, as well as the story, depict a multicultural neighborhood. This would be a wonderful addition to a lower elementary classroom library. It fits in well with "multicultural days," as a number of ethnic foods are mentioned. A creative teacher could design a number of enrichment activities from this book, as well as reading lessons about poetry and rhyming.
April 5, 2011
The first thing I noticed about this book was that about four or more cultures were represented. It's hard to find books that have different characters and cultures. This book talks about a neighborhood where everyone seem to get along very well with each other. This book can be use to talk about building community within the classroom.
September 16, 2012
PB28. I love the illustrations in this book. They allow the text to just come to life. This beautiful book shows the unity of a community which is a common characteristic of the south. although there were people of various cultures, they all got along.
September 9, 2016
Reminded me of hot summers here in the south when I was little. Loved this book!
October 19, 2010
The rhyming text has a pleasant, bouncy rhythm. Bright, vibrant illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews