Today Is the Day

Today is the Day is about a girl named Mutana, who lives in an orphanage in Kenya. Mutana and all the other children wake up very excited because Today is the Day. Mutana does her chores, like sweeping the floor and feeding the orphanage dog, Rafiki. When she sees people arriving at the orphanage, she knows it is time to start the celebration. Today is the birthday party that is held once a year for every child living at the orphanage. Mutana is very excited, because this will be her first time getting a loot bag, hat, cake, and singing “Happy Birthday.” Today is a very special day.

I adored Today is the Day. It is based on a true story about an orphanage in rural Kenya where they celebrate everyone’s birthday on July 12th. Many of the orphans do not know their birthday, and by celebrating that one day, it makes them feel important. One thing I really loved about this book was the real pictures at the back, and when they talked about the real orphanage. I think that every child deserves to feel special and celebrate their birthday.