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A Day's Work: A Tender Picture Book About a Grandfather and Grandson Reconnecting for Children
In this heartwarming story about family and multigenerational relationships, a Mexican-American boy and his grandfather, who struggles to speak English and find work, reconnect through gardening.
Francisco, a young Mexican-American boy, doesn't know how to connect with his grandfather who doesn't doesn't speak English. But when the opportunity to help his grandfather find a job comes along, Francisco helps his grandfather learn about gardening. They get to learn about gardening, and each other, along the way.
Francisco, a young Mexican-American boy, doesn't know how to connect with his grandfather who doesn't doesn't speak English. But when the opportunity to help his grandfather find a job comes along, Francisco helps his grandfather learn about gardening. They get to learn about gardening, and each other, along the way.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
26 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
Eve Bunting
314 books411 followersAlso known as Evelyn Bolton and A.E. Bunting.
Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.
Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.
In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.
Anne Evelyn Bunting, better known as Eve Bunting, is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles. Eve Bunting has won several awards for her works.
Bunting went to school in Ireland and grew up with storytelling. In Ireland, “There used to be Shanachies… the shanachie was a storyteller who went from house to house telling his tales of ghosts and fairies, of old Irish heroes and battles still to be won. Maybe I’m a bit of a Shanchie myself, telling stories to anyone who will listen.” This storytelling began as an inspiration for Bunting and continues with her work.
In 1958, Bunting moved to the United States with her husband and three children. A few years later, Bunting enrolled in a community college writing course. She felt the desire to write about her heritage. Bunting has taught writing classes at UCLA. She now lives in Pasadena, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
November 28, 2020
Good story. Love the illustrations. But it's a rather sad one.
March 15, 2015
Oh dear. So this book arrived by mistake from Amazon. I forget what I had ordered instead. Definitely not this. But Eve Bunting is amazing so I kept it. It's a complicated, kind of sad story told very simply. And it makes me think about all the heavy lifting we have our children do when they read. I look at high school reading lists or books like this one -- children are reading about the Holocaust and terminal cancer and illegal immigration and war and cultural difference and racism. I look at adult best seller lists. Apparently, we're reading about sex and explosions. Is adulthood so exhausting? I don't want to read about the Holocaust or cancer. I don't even want to read this sweet, short book. It's too sad. I used to read things like that regularly. Ooh goodie! Another book about abused foster children! Another book about dying soldiers and the Civil War! And now I read books that all end the same way. They are very soothing. I'm not sure what that's about. If I feel like I did my time as an adolescent and am done with sad books? Or if I feel like there are enough real things to be sad about without seeking it out in my fiction? Whatever it is, I'm not alone. Adult fiction is lightweight. Our kids are reading harder books than we are.
April 18, 2022
Here’s a really good story about the importance of honesty.
And along the way, you’ll learn how some immigrants got work in California. Maybe it’s still the case. But, I remember when I was young, there was a corner in town where men would stand, waiting for people to come hire them for the odd job, just like it’s depicted in this book.
Ages: 4 - 10
And along the way, you’ll learn how some immigrants got work in California. Maybe it’s still the case. But, I remember when I was young, there was a corner in town where men would stand, waiting for people to come hire them for the odd job, just like it’s depicted in this book.
Ages: 4 - 10
July 27, 2024
There are A LOT of lessons in this story. This fact alone upset my 8yo.
June 10, 2014
This is a story about a young boy and his grandfather looking for work as day laborers in California. The main focus of the story is a moral lesson about telling the truth and the importance of the work ethic. I felt it was written with a distorted view into the world of hard-working Mexican migrant day laborers. There was quite a bit of stereotyping throughout the book. The book portrays Mexican immigrants as needing to find work on a daily basis. The boy in the story, Fransisco, lies to a employer about his grandfather's gardening skills. He pushes an adult out of the way to get the job. Grandfather ends up making mistakes on the job and is scolded by his employer. The illustrations are very expressive and writing portrays Mexican Americans as people who: wait for work and are taken somewhere to work, use children who speak English to mediate between adults, lie to adults and eat tortillas and chorizo. Although Francisco's mother is mentioned, readers see and hear only males in this representation of Mexican Americans. The author of the book is not Mexican American, neither is the illustrator. Although the moral of the story is good, I felt the book contained too many cultural stereotypes of Mexican Americans and therefore not a good multicultural book.
January 4, 2015
Immigrants hang out at certain street corners to get picked up for a day’s work, hard work, but never guaranteed to be more than a day. This story tells of Francisco’s abuelo (grandfather) who just arrived in the U.S., who doesn’t speak English, so Francisco goes along to help him get work. Unfortunately, he lies to a man about their gardening skills and they make a terrible mistake. Francisco learns about honor no matter what the need is, and they do get a second chance. This would make a good conversation about immigrants and the hard work they do, but also about doing what is right.
June 15, 2023
Good message about integrity and also a little sad.
May 11, 2021
A Day's Work is a children's picture book written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Ronald Himler. It is a persuasive moral tale about a young Mexican boy in contemporary California who lies in order to help his family.
Bunting's text is rather simplistic and straightforward. Using simple language, Bunting parable of honesty and an honest day’s work is told rather well. With expressive, gestural watercolors, Himler conveys the boy's complex relationship with his grandfather and strongly invokes both the harsh and the tender landscapes of Francisco's world.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Francisco, trying to find work for his abuelo, who has just arrived from Mexico, acts as a liaison between his grandfather, who doesn't speak English, and Ben, who wants to hire a gardener for a day's work. Eager to earn the badly needed pay, Francisco assures Ben that his grandfather is a skilled gardener – although he is actually an architect. Through the interrelation between these three lessons are learned about honor, honesty, and about a day's hard work.
All in all, A Day's Work is a fine, moving story that manages to convey an important moral message without sounding preachy or didactic.
Bunting's text is rather simplistic and straightforward. Using simple language, Bunting parable of honesty and an honest day’s work is told rather well. With expressive, gestural watercolors, Himler conveys the boy's complex relationship with his grandfather and strongly invokes both the harsh and the tender landscapes of Francisco's world.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Francisco, trying to find work for his abuelo, who has just arrived from Mexico, acts as a liaison between his grandfather, who doesn't speak English, and Ben, who wants to hire a gardener for a day's work. Eager to earn the badly needed pay, Francisco assures Ben that his grandfather is a skilled gardener – although he is actually an architect. Through the interrelation between these three lessons are learned about honor, honesty, and about a day's hard work.
All in all, A Day's Work is a fine, moving story that manages to convey an important moral message without sounding preachy or didactic.
April 25, 2022
A young boy goes with his grandfather to help him find work as a day laborer, since his grandfather does not know English and only arrived two days ago. Francisco lies and tells says his grandfather is a gardener when a man asks for one man to do weeding. However, in their ignorance they leave the weeds and pull the crop. His grandfather upset by his grandson's lie offers to come back tomorrow to replant and pull the weeds. Impressed with the grandfather's honesty he offers him a job.
February 25, 2019
Eve Bunting, a white woman, tells the story of a young boy and his immigrant grandfather who does not speak English. The young boy is trying to find his grandfather work so that they can have money. A man in a van shows up and offers them a gardening job which they take. Unfortunately, they pull all of the crops and leave the weeds, instead of pulling the weeds and leaving the crops. The grandfather insists that they get a second chance so that they can make it right. The man from the van lets them fix what they have done. This book is questionable because it labels Mexican immigrants as slightly incompetent and unintelligent (for not knowing the difference between a weed and a plant) which is not celebrated who they are as people. I would not use this book in my classroom. Age level: 2nd grade and up.
October 4, 2009
This is an interesting tale about migrant workers who are hired on a daily basis for manual labor and a grandfather/grandson team who go out together on a Saturday because the grandfather speaks no English. The boy helps them get a job by lying about the grandfather's qualifications as a gardner. And at the end of a long day, they discover they've made a terrible mistake. The grandfather teaches the boy a lesson about honor and telling the truth and the boss gives them a second chance. It's a good story and a great way to introduce the concept of people who struggle to make ends meet, who work hard and honorably for a day's wage. We are big fans of Eve Bunting's work.
August 15, 2016
Francisco is helping his grandfather find a day's work. He lies and tells Ben that his grandfather is a gardener. Ben hires them and tells them to pull out the weeds and leave the plants. Francisco and his abuelo work hard all day...only to find out they have pulled all the plants and left the weeds. Ben is (rightfully) angry, but Abuelo offers to return the next day to pull the weeds and replant all of the plants and refuses to take the money until the job is done and done correctly.
A great story about the relationship between a boy and his grandfather, about integrity and about hard work.
A great story about the relationship between a boy and his grandfather, about integrity and about hard work.
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March 25, 2011Eve Bunting is one of my favorite children's book author's. Her stories always have such a touching "backstory" that develops while reading. A HONEST days work means so much more by the time the reader reaches the end of this story. This is a great book to read to address economic situations through the different classes in America. Also, teachers could use it to address the treatment of individuals.
March 5, 2016
7/5/15
Such a great book to read to all kids!! Learning the importance of a good/honest days work and doing what is right. This is a book I like to read every year....krb 2/23/16
Read again after studying the parable of the vineyard landowner at CBS, Matt. ch. 20. This book kept popping up in my mind as we read the parable. Doing what is right and what God's will is for us, not worrying about what His will is for others, is it fair, etc....krb 3/5/16
Such a great book to read to all kids!! Learning the importance of a good/honest days work and doing what is right. This is a book I like to read every year....krb 2/23/16
Read again after studying the parable of the vineyard landowner at CBS, Matt. ch. 20. This book kept popping up in my mind as we read the parable. Doing what is right and what God's will is for us, not worrying about what His will is for others, is it fair, etc....krb 3/5/16
August 20, 2013
Nobody tells a story quite like Eve Bunting.
June 30, 2017
A little dated with the gardening aspects but still relevant from the migrant worker front.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...
November 5, 2016
Incredible book that teaches a great lesson of hard work, integrity, and honesty!
November 21, 2017
A Day’s Work is a story about a boy named Francisco who is helping his non-English speaking grandfather find work. Francisco is impatient waiting for someone to come by and offer them a job, so he runs right up to the first approaching car. The job is for a gardener, so Francisco lies and says his grandfather is an experienced gardener to quickly get the man to take them for the job. The job seemed simple enough to Francisco, so the fact that his grandfather has never worked on a garden doesn’t seem too bad. When the man in charge of the job comes to pick them up, he is upset and exclaims that Francisco and his grandfather pulled the plants instead of the weeds. When the grandfather finds out that Francisco lied to get the job, the grandfather apologizes and offers to fix their mistake for free the next day. The man is understanding and accepts the offer. At first Francisco is upset, but decides to learn from the mistake and accept the consequence.
The major theme of this book is telling lies always has consequences. Peppe says his grandfather is an expert gardener when his grandfather has never worked in a garden. Peppe gets caught in his lie and must face the consequences. Many readers can relate to being caught in a lie regardless of their age or background.
The book is a quick and fun read that has a good message about the consequences of lying. The reason behind the lie is noble, but he still realizes that he should not have said it in the first place. This is a lesson everyone can benefit from reading. The illustrations were good, but didn’t do much more than depict what the words were saying. Overall, I did enjoy the book and I appreciate that the characters are of a minority race, so children of Hispanic origin might get a chance to see some part of their lives or families in the book.
I recommend that teachers have this book in their classrooms because it does add to the cultural diversity in literature that they can offer. Children can either learn about a different perspective or lifestyle that they might never get exposed to, or they can be entertained by the similarities of their life that they find within the story. I recommend this book to both teachers and parents because the message that telling lies leads to consequences is one that all readers should learn.
The major theme of this book is telling lies always has consequences. Peppe says his grandfather is an expert gardener when his grandfather has never worked in a garden. Peppe gets caught in his lie and must face the consequences. Many readers can relate to being caught in a lie regardless of their age or background.
The book is a quick and fun read that has a good message about the consequences of lying. The reason behind the lie is noble, but he still realizes that he should not have said it in the first place. This is a lesson everyone can benefit from reading. The illustrations were good, but didn’t do much more than depict what the words were saying. Overall, I did enjoy the book and I appreciate that the characters are of a minority race, so children of Hispanic origin might get a chance to see some part of their lives or families in the book.
I recommend that teachers have this book in their classrooms because it does add to the cultural diversity in literature that they can offer. Children can either learn about a different perspective or lifestyle that they might never get exposed to, or they can be entertained by the similarities of their life that they find within the story. I recommend this book to both teachers and parents because the message that telling lies leads to consequences is one that all readers should learn.
April 14, 2025
A Day’s Work Book Review
A Day's Work by Eve Bunting is an amazing book that revolves around Abuelo and his grandson working together to get a day’s pay for work. It’s about a family thats not doing well financially as it hoped, the story first taking place in the parking lot where Francisco had seen a van pass by with three men and not letting another opportunity pass by as soon as the next van came which was for gardening, he didnt think twice but to approach the man and convince him that he and his abuelo could get the job done. This lie will end up costing them greatly afterwards when Ben, the guy who hired them to perform this job, finds out that Francisco and his abuelo were not gardeners due to them removing all the plants, which weren't weeds but rather ice plants, and the flowers, which were actually chickweeds.
This is where the book teaches a big lesson, which is to be honest. Honesty is important, especially in a workplace. Upon realizing his grandson lied, the grandfather told him, “this is not how we do work.” Through his actions, the grandfather teaches Francisco the value of being honest and how being someone people can rely on is important for better opportunities. Another lesson from the grandfather comes when he tells his son that they can fix the situation by going the next day to put back the plants, even though his son has other plans. The grandfather prioritizes fixing the wrong and taking responsibility for it, teaching that it’s always better to do what’s right, even if it’s difficult. Moreover, a last lesson that one can take from this book is to be a person of honor and have respect to the other person, this was demonstrated when abuelo decided to neglect half paycheck for the work they had put in for the day, he wanted to earn his money even though that money would have gone to the food they needed to feed themselves, but he chose to respect the other person and get the job done first.
This book was a WOW so many valuables lessons here that one can learn throughout the book, and I really love the illustrations of this book aswell, as even though Francisco is still a young kid, I really liked that at such age he’s already ery mature than your typical 10-12 year old. I really like that Francisco lied not for himself but rather than his family even though lying is wrong it shows that he is a kind hearted fellow than puts others above himself, he still has a lot to learn but that is why he has his grandfather, whom can teach him valuable lessons such as honesty, responsibility, and doing the right acts at all times and life will pay you back eventually. I think is also a WOW book because of the protagonists, I enjoyed both characters. I can definitely relate to Francisco in the sense that you want to make others proud of you, and that was his main motive for lying as well as helping out. Sometimes, there are better ways we can help without necessarily lying.
Two literary devices the author used in compiling this book were dialogue and characterization. His abuelo and Francisco's dialogue was effective. The way they spoke to one another helped to show their familiarity, and it conveyed the lessons Francisco was learning. For example, when his abuelo said to him, "This is not how we do work," it taught him the value of honesty. The second mechanism was characterization, which was consistent throughout. Francisco's characterization can be seen. He does something inappropriate, but at the end of the book, he receives lessons on honesty and responsibility, enabling him to mature.
I would consider this book an anti-bias book because it shows that everyone can make mistakes, but what matters is taking responsibility for them and doing what is right. The grandfather's actions of fixing their mistake and making sure they get the job done correctly show that character stands above all else. It assists in teaching children to be honest, respectful, and responsible, principles that can be applied by any person irrespective of their background.
A Day's Work by Eve Bunting is an amazing book that revolves around Abuelo and his grandson working together to get a day’s pay for work. It’s about a family thats not doing well financially as it hoped, the story first taking place in the parking lot where Francisco had seen a van pass by with three men and not letting another opportunity pass by as soon as the next van came which was for gardening, he didnt think twice but to approach the man and convince him that he and his abuelo could get the job done. This lie will end up costing them greatly afterwards when Ben, the guy who hired them to perform this job, finds out that Francisco and his abuelo were not gardeners due to them removing all the plants, which weren't weeds but rather ice plants, and the flowers, which were actually chickweeds.
This is where the book teaches a big lesson, which is to be honest. Honesty is important, especially in a workplace. Upon realizing his grandson lied, the grandfather told him, “this is not how we do work.” Through his actions, the grandfather teaches Francisco the value of being honest and how being someone people can rely on is important for better opportunities. Another lesson from the grandfather comes when he tells his son that they can fix the situation by going the next day to put back the plants, even though his son has other plans. The grandfather prioritizes fixing the wrong and taking responsibility for it, teaching that it’s always better to do what’s right, even if it’s difficult. Moreover, a last lesson that one can take from this book is to be a person of honor and have respect to the other person, this was demonstrated when abuelo decided to neglect half paycheck for the work they had put in for the day, he wanted to earn his money even though that money would have gone to the food they needed to feed themselves, but he chose to respect the other person and get the job done first.
This book was a WOW so many valuables lessons here that one can learn throughout the book, and I really love the illustrations of this book aswell, as even though Francisco is still a young kid, I really liked that at such age he’s already ery mature than your typical 10-12 year old. I really like that Francisco lied not for himself but rather than his family even though lying is wrong it shows that he is a kind hearted fellow than puts others above himself, he still has a lot to learn but that is why he has his grandfather, whom can teach him valuable lessons such as honesty, responsibility, and doing the right acts at all times and life will pay you back eventually. I think is also a WOW book because of the protagonists, I enjoyed both characters. I can definitely relate to Francisco in the sense that you want to make others proud of you, and that was his main motive for lying as well as helping out. Sometimes, there are better ways we can help without necessarily lying.
Two literary devices the author used in compiling this book were dialogue and characterization. His abuelo and Francisco's dialogue was effective. The way they spoke to one another helped to show their familiarity, and it conveyed the lessons Francisco was learning. For example, when his abuelo said to him, "This is not how we do work," it taught him the value of honesty. The second mechanism was characterization, which was consistent throughout. Francisco's characterization can be seen. He does something inappropriate, but at the end of the book, he receives lessons on honesty and responsibility, enabling him to mature.
I would consider this book an anti-bias book because it shows that everyone can make mistakes, but what matters is taking responsibility for them and doing what is right. The grandfather's actions of fixing their mistake and making sure they get the job done correctly show that character stands above all else. It assists in teaching children to be honest, respectful, and responsible, principles that can be applied by any person irrespective of their background.
May 14, 2020
When I began to research books to include on my honesty booklist, I came across A Day's Work by Eve Bunting, in lots of my research. Though I generally try to get books from the library before I buy them, neither our school nor local library had this in its collection. I figured anything written by Bunting would be a safe bet to buy sight-unseen, so I scrounged around online to find a way to get this one anyway. And y'all, I am SO glad that we own this important book.
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Covering honesty, immigration, language barriers, intergenerational relationships, and more, you can read this one over and over and over again with a different takeaway every time! In A Day's Work, Francisco is trying to help his grandfather, who just moved to California two days ago and speaks no English, find work for a day. Discouraged about their chances, Francisco tells a potential employer that his grandfather is "a fine gardener," though he's actually a carpenter with little to no gardening experience. Francisco feels confident that his lie has worked. But when the boss comes back to check on them, rather than being pleased, he's angry... They've pulled out all the flowers and left the weeds!
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Angry at first, Abuelo quickly gains his control and an understanding of Francisco's lie and instructs Francisco to let the boss know that they will come back tomorrow and fix the problem that they've caused. Though Francisco is reluctant to give up another weekend day to work, Abuelo reminds him that "it is the price of the lie."
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And this is the beauty of this book. The price of a lie... What a powerful lesson for a child to learn. Our lies always have prices, even though we may think we've gotten away with them initially. Ben is willing to continue to work with Abuelo, because of his integrity. Because he already knows the important things... The importance of honesty, of hard work, of making our wrongs right.
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Do you have a favorite Eve Bunting book? We also love One Green Apple, Night Tree, and Yard Sale. You can bet I've put in a request to our local library system to add this to its collection!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Covering honesty, immigration, language barriers, intergenerational relationships, and more, you can read this one over and over and over again with a different takeaway every time! In A Day's Work, Francisco is trying to help his grandfather, who just moved to California two days ago and speaks no English, find work for a day. Discouraged about their chances, Francisco tells a potential employer that his grandfather is "a fine gardener," though he's actually a carpenter with little to no gardening experience. Francisco feels confident that his lie has worked. But when the boss comes back to check on them, rather than being pleased, he's angry... They've pulled out all the flowers and left the weeds!
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Angry at first, Abuelo quickly gains his control and an understanding of Francisco's lie and instructs Francisco to let the boss know that they will come back tomorrow and fix the problem that they've caused. Though Francisco is reluctant to give up another weekend day to work, Abuelo reminds him that "it is the price of the lie."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And this is the beauty of this book. The price of a lie... What a powerful lesson for a child to learn. Our lies always have prices, even though we may think we've gotten away with them initially. Ben is willing to continue to work with Abuelo, because of his integrity. Because he already knows the important things... The importance of honesty, of hard work, of making our wrongs right.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Do you have a favorite Eve Bunting book? We also love One Green Apple, Night Tree, and Yard Sale. You can bet I've put in a request to our local library system to add this to its collection!
March 25, 2022
A Day’s Work by Eve Bunting, Illustrator Ronald Himmler- Children’s Illustrated Colour Picture Book- The book narrates the story of Francisco, a Mexican American boy who resides iin California. As his father has expired, his grandfather has arrived from Mexico to help them. His grandfather is unable to communicate in English. In USA, Immigrants hang out at certain street corners to get picked up for a day’s work, but the work is never guaranteed to be more than a day. As it is Saturday and Francisco’s school is close, therefore, he takes his grandfather to find one day labour work. One truck stops and informs that gardening work is available. Francisco informs Ben that his grandfather is a good gardener and he will perform the day’s work. Francisco informs Ben that that both will work for him. Ben informs that the day’s wage is sixty dollars. In the truck, grandfather informs Francisco that he is a carpenter and does not know gardening. Francisco says that they will learn. Ben drops them on the farm and asks them to pick up the weeds and leave the flower bearing trees. Both of them work for the day. At 3.00 PM Ben arrives, sees their work and informs them that they have left the weeds and have plucked the flower veering trees. Francisco’s grandfather informs that they will work free of cost for one day so that the harm caused to Ben could be fulfilled. Francisco knows that he is busy on Sunday because he has to view movies on TV and play. Buth his grandfather says that telling a lie is wrong. They have got a second chance to keep their word. Ben says that he will teach his grandfather how to garden. Message We should always speak the truth. Coloured illustrations help the reader to relate to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.
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November 12, 2018Summary:This is a realistic nonfiction book about a young Mexican American boy and his grandfather. During a time of financial crisis, his grandfather comes to California to help Francisco's family after the death of Francisco's father. One Saturday, Francisco, the young boy, accompanies his grandfather to find work for the day. Francisco tries to help his grandfather find work by interpreting on his grandfather’s behalf because his grandfather does not speak English, only Spanish.
Evaluation: This story is very well written. It is heartwarming to see the relationship of grandfather and grandson. Although this book is meant to relate to the Hispanic community, it is a work of realistic fiction in which any child can make personal connections to the text. The language of this book is clear, concise, and easy to read. This text has well developed story elements, particularly in character development. The main character, Fransisco, learns moral lessons from his grandfather and grows as a better person because of it.
Teaching idea: This book has a lot of deep underlying topics that can be discussed with students through a Socratic seminar. Students can be seating in a fish bowl way in which they will take tuns discussing certain topics. Because this is elementary school students, the teacher will serve as a facilitator during the Socratic seminar. The teacher can ask prompting questions such as, "Do you think Francisco had an appropriate justification for lying to get work?"
Evaluation: This story is very well written. It is heartwarming to see the relationship of grandfather and grandson. Although this book is meant to relate to the Hispanic community, it is a work of realistic fiction in which any child can make personal connections to the text. The language of this book is clear, concise, and easy to read. This text has well developed story elements, particularly in character development. The main character, Fransisco, learns moral lessons from his grandfather and grows as a better person because of it.
Teaching idea: This book has a lot of deep underlying topics that can be discussed with students through a Socratic seminar. Students can be seating in a fish bowl way in which they will take tuns discussing certain topics. Because this is elementary school students, the teacher will serve as a facilitator during the Socratic seminar. The teacher can ask prompting questions such as, "Do you think Francisco had an appropriate justification for lying to get work?"
May 1, 2018
Title: A Day's Work
Award: None
Appropriate grade levels: Kindergarten - 3rd grade
Summary: Francisco and His grandfather are looking for work, his grandfather has just moved to California, only knowing Spanish. Francisco would help his grandfather get a job by speaking for him in English. The two would end up getting a gardening job based on Francisco claiming his grandfather knew how to garden. The two would end up doing the job and once done, the man who offered the job realized that Francisco's grandfather did not know much about gardening because they had picked out all the flowers instead of the weeds. Francisco's grandfather realizes that Francisco lied to the man and makes him apologize and promise to work tomorrow.
Review: I would give this book a 5, I think that the lessons within the book are important for kids to learn, lying is not a good quality as well as if you are honest you will be rewarded.
Possible in class uses: A possible use for this book is teach students about being honest and how if you are, people will help you. Another way is you could use this book as a segway into learning how to garden.
Award: None
Appropriate grade levels: Kindergarten - 3rd grade
Summary: Francisco and His grandfather are looking for work, his grandfather has just moved to California, only knowing Spanish. Francisco would help his grandfather get a job by speaking for him in English. The two would end up getting a gardening job based on Francisco claiming his grandfather knew how to garden. The two would end up doing the job and once done, the man who offered the job realized that Francisco's grandfather did not know much about gardening because they had picked out all the flowers instead of the weeds. Francisco's grandfather realizes that Francisco lied to the man and makes him apologize and promise to work tomorrow.
Review: I would give this book a 5, I think that the lessons within the book are important for kids to learn, lying is not a good quality as well as if you are honest you will be rewarded.
Possible in class uses: A possible use for this book is teach students about being honest and how if you are, people will help you. Another way is you could use this book as a segway into learning how to garden.
March 6, 2020
This book isn’t bad. I read a comment where someone considered it racists that a Mexican man should know the different in a weed versus a flowering plant. I disagree with that persons statement. I think that stereotyping is inaccurate in many ways. That’s like saying everything person in southeast of America knows how to garden when they don’t. Aside from that, I liked the book because he taught the lesson of a boy just trying to innocently help his family and grandfather and telling a lie and then having to go back and correct his lie. The little boy learned his lesson that day and what it costs. The grandfather had a language barrier but still communicated to the hiring man that he(grandfather) knew he shouldn’t get paid until the job is completed showing his loyalty. As a future teacher, this book teaches children that honesty is always the best option and there are consequences to a lie even with good intentions. This could be read do 2nd-4th grade class to teach them that a lie can cost them more time fixing and to tell the truth in the first place.
July 24, 2021
I really enjoyed this book, A Day's Work is about a Hispanic man who just moved to the United States to live with his daughter and grandson Fransico. Fransisco is just a child and he speaks both Spanish and English so he is an interpretor for his grandfather who only speaks Spanish.
This book is about Fransico's grandfather looking for work to help pay the bills. A gardener shows up looking for someone to help him for the day. Fransisco convinces the man to pick them, by saying his grandfather is a great gardener even though he wasn't and knew nothing about gardening. The man takes them to a hillside and tells them that their job for the day is to pull all the weeds.
This book gives a glimpse into the life of an immigrant trying to make it in the United States. The language barriers along with the lack of constant work. This was just a glimpse into one day in the life of an immigrant.
I would use this book in my classroom to teach a lesson, first about honesty and always telling the truth. Second about how when a mistake is made how important it is to make up for it.
This book is about Fransico's grandfather looking for work to help pay the bills. A gardener shows up looking for someone to help him for the day. Fransisco convinces the man to pick them, by saying his grandfather is a great gardener even though he wasn't and knew nothing about gardening. The man takes them to a hillside and tells them that their job for the day is to pull all the weeds.
This book gives a glimpse into the life of an immigrant trying to make it in the United States. The language barriers along with the lack of constant work. This was just a glimpse into one day in the life of an immigrant.
I would use this book in my classroom to teach a lesson, first about honesty and always telling the truth. Second about how when a mistake is made how important it is to make up for it.
December 6, 2018
A Day's Work is a story about migrant workers with themes of family and honesty. The main character, Francisco, waits outside with his grandfather to find him work. It is a lot harder to find work for a migrant worker than the young boy thought, so when his grandfather is given an opportunity for a job, Francisco exaggerates the truth. Francisco and his grandfather learn that it is not okay to lie. I like this story as it gave insight into the perspective of a migrant worker. The illustrations are beautiful as they flow nicely together. I love the connection of family and the inferences to be made about the daily life of migrant workers. I would connect this book to another book about migrant workers called, Delores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers. One quote I enjoyed from the text was, "And tell your grandfather I can always use a good man--for more than just a day's work."
February 15, 2019
This book is great for children in the primary to upper grades of elementary! This book is about a boy named Francisco who is trying to get his grandfather work. He finds gardening work for his grandpa, but knows that his grandpa only has experience in carpentry. In order to get the job, he lies and says that they both have a lot of experience in gardening so they end up getting the work. When at work, without knowing better they pull all of the employers flowers instead of the weeds and his grandpa finds out that the boy lied. The employer decides to give the boy and his grandfather another chance to replant the flowers because of how dedicated the grandpa is to fix their wrongs. Francisco learns his lesson that lying is not okay no matte the circumstances! This book has a great lesson learning experience of being a loyal hard worker!
December 4, 2017
1. Awards: Commended for Americas Award for Children & Young Adult Literature (Picture Book) 1994
2. Kindergarten—3rd grade
3. Francisco wants to help his grandfather get a job. Francisco’s grandfather has just moved from Mexico, so he hardly speaks any English. Francisco gets his grandfather a job as a gardener, even though his grandfather knows nothing about gardening.
4. The subject can be both sad, yet realistic. I think it is a great book to introduce to children to promote positivity toward classism and a firm belief in respecting everyone. Students can learn a lot from Francisco and how he learned from his mistakes.
5. In the classroom:
There could be a class activity on gardening.
Teacher can lead a class discussion about different skills and how they are all important.
2. Kindergarten—3rd grade
3. Francisco wants to help his grandfather get a job. Francisco’s grandfather has just moved from Mexico, so he hardly speaks any English. Francisco gets his grandfather a job as a gardener, even though his grandfather knows nothing about gardening.
4. The subject can be both sad, yet realistic. I think it is a great book to introduce to children to promote positivity toward classism and a firm belief in respecting everyone. Students can learn a lot from Francisco and how he learned from his mistakes.
5. In the classroom:
There could be a class activity on gardening.
Teacher can lead a class discussion about different skills and how they are all important.
November 9, 2022
In this beautifully rich cross-generational story, a young boy learns the consequences of dishonesty after proudly securing a day’s work for himself and his grandfather under false pretenses. In the end, he learns that while working hard is important, doing so with integrity is even more so. This story also gives a glimpse of the challenges immigrants face in securing work including language barriers and earning enough as a day laborer to fulfill basic needs of warm clothing and food.
We rate children's books for virtue, language, story, and beauty and flag content advisories when needed.
Read more at MindfulMuslimReader.com.
“Books Worth Reading”
We rate children's books for virtue, language, story, and beauty and flag content advisories when needed.
Read more at MindfulMuslimReader.com.
“Books Worth Reading”
October 9, 2017
It was a very touching story about a boy,Francisco and his grandfather.They came from Mexico. After I read this story, I felt a little be sad, because Francisco and his grandfather worked all day long under the sun, they worked so hard! But at the end, their boss,Ben said they did the wrong way! Ben was very angry. Francisco and his grandfather felt disappointed. But luckily, Ben wanted to give them a chance tomorrow! They still have the chance to earn the money again! It was a good news for both of them! As I read this book, I knew there are still heave many people have hard time in their daily life. If I have an opportunity, I want to give them some help to make their life better!
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