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Eve Bunting

A Day's Work Hardcover – January 1, 1994

by Eve Bunting (Author), Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

233 ratings

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Francisco, a young Mexican-American boy, tries to help his grandfather, recently arrived from Mexico and unable to speak English, find work as a gardener and, in the process, discovers the importance of honesty.

Reading age

6 - 8 years
Print length

32 pages
Language

English
Grade level

1 - 2
Lexile measure

560L
Dimensions

9 x 0.5 x 10 inches
Publisher

Clarion Books
Publication date

January 1, 1994
ISBN-10

0395673216
ISBN-13

978-0395673218
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Demi
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Maribeth Boelts
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Trudy Ludwig
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Eve Bunting
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Judith Viorst
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Demi
1,449
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127 offers from $1.15
Maribeth Boelts
2,162
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118 offers from $1.73
Trudy Ludwig
3,583
Hardcover
96 offers from $2.47
Eve Bunting
393
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152 offers from $1.45
Deloris Jordan
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Vera B Williams
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Francisco, trying to find work for his grandfather, or abuelo, who has just arrived from Mexico, acts as a liaison between Abuelo, 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 (Abuelo is in fact a carpenter). Returning at the end of the day, Ben is shocked to discover that Francisco and Abuelo stripped his field of the plants and left the weeds. Abuelo is also angered, learning only now that Francisco had lied to Ben, and refuses payment until they have done the job correctly. Recognizing the older man's integrity, Ben rewards Abuelo and Francisco with the promise of "more than just one day's work." Says Ben of the plants: "The roots are still there. If they've replanted early, they'll be alright." Similarly, Francisco is given a chance to start over. He changes from a naively parental figure to a child who "had begun to learn the important things." The shift in the boy's role quietly suggests not only the importance of a work ethic but also Francisco's need to be a child, guided by a caring adult. With expressive, gestural watercolors, Himler, who illustrated Bunting's Fly Away Home and Someday a Tree, conveys the boy's complex relationship with his grandfather and strongly invokes both the harsh and the tender landscapes of Francisco's world. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3?A charming story about an elderly man who has just come from Mexico to live with his daughter and grandson Francisco in California. The boy convinces a man to hire him and his Abuelo by saying that "...my grandfather is a fine gardener, though he doesn't know English yet," in spite of the fact that he has always lived in the city and worked as a carpenter. After their new employer drives off in his van, the two set to work?but they pull up all of the plants and leave the weeds. "We do not lie for work," Abuelo tells Francisco when he learns what they have done, and they return the next day to rectify their mistake for no extra pay. Bunting perfectly captures the intergenerational love and respect shared by these two characters and the man's strong sense of honesty and integrity. Himler's softly colored illustrations reflect the feelings of the characters and the setting.?Jessie Meudell, California Polytechnic University at Pomona
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5-8. The author and illustrator of The Wall (1990) and Fly Away Home (1991) here tell a touching immigration story about the reversal of roles between child and adult. A small Mexican American boy, Francisco acts as interpreter for his abuelo, newly arrived in California and looking for work as a day laborer. The boy speaks English for his grandfather and pushes hard, even tells lies, to get him a job as a gardener. Abuelo's a carpenter, not a gardener, and he and Francisco pull out the flowers instead of the weeds. The employer is furious, but then abuelo takes charge and insists on working the next day without pay to put things right. Himler's watercolor and gouache paintings have warmth and urgency; they're sensitive without being maudlin. The characters of the all-male cast are wonderfully individualized: the lively boy in his Lakers cap is eager to make things happen; the grandfather is bewildered but with an inner certainty; the employer is angry but is no monster. In the tense competition among the laborers in the hiring yard, we feel the desperation of people without work. The family drama captures that universal immigrant experience in which the child must help the adult interpret the new world, while the wise adult still has much to teach the child about enduring values. Hazel Rochman

From Kirkus Reviews

Award-winning author Bunting's (Night of the Gargoyles, p. 1122, etc.; The In-Between Days, see below) persuasive moral tale about a young Mexican boy in contemporary California who lies in order to help his family. Francisco accompanies his grandfather to get work as a day laborer because grandfather, or ``Abuelo,'' doesn't speak English. When a man comes along asking for a gardener, Francisco eagerly tells him that Abuelo is an excellent gardener. But as it turns out, neither Abuelo nor Francisco knows much about plants, and instead of pulling out the weeds, they pull out all the healthy new plants instead. The man who hired them is angry, and Abuelo is confused, until he learns the extent of his grandson's involvement in the mistake. Francisco is ashamed of what he has done and admires Abuelo's dignity under the circumstances: Abuelo insists on doing the job right and will not accept the man's offer of payment until it has been done. Himler's gentle watercolor illustrations capture the hot, dry landscape and the cowed, yet hopeful, postures of immigrants seeking to make their way in a new land. A fine, moving story that manages to convey an important moral message without sounding preachy or didactic. (Fiction/Picture book. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

"Bunting perfectly captures the intergenerational love and respect shared by these two characters and the man's strong sense of honesty and integrity. Himler's softly colored illustrations reflect the feelings of the characters and setting." -- Review

About the Author

No Bio

Ronald Himler has illustrated many books for children, including "A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark" by David Adler, and "The Blizzard" by Betty Ren Wright. "School Library Journal" called his art "evocative" and pinpoints a "nostalgic appeal" that Himler "capture[s] so perfectly in...pictures." He lives in Arizona.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books; 1st Edition (January 1, 1994)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0395673216
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0395673218
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 6 - 8 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 560L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 1 - 2
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.96 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9 x 0.5 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #5,700,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,846 in Children's Hispanic & Latino Books
- #8,426 in Children's Multigenerational Family Life
- #236,746 in Schools & Teaching (Books)

Customer Reviews:
233 ratings

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Eve Bunting

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Eve Bunting has written more than 200 books for children, many of which can be found in libraries around the world. Her other Clarion titles for very young readers include My Big Boy Bed, which was also illustrated by Maggie Smith, and Little Bear's Little Boat, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. She lives in Pasadena, California.

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Top reviews from the United States

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Children's Lit Love

Beautiful intergenerational story of honesty, integrity, and hard work

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 14, 2020

Verified Purchase

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!

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Shanna A. Gonzalez

A Beautifully Moving, Compassionate Glimpse into a Day Laborer's World

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 17, 2010

Verified Purchase

On Saturday morning, young Francisco waits with his abuelo (grandfather) with other day laborers, hoping for a day's work. In order to persuade a potential employer to choose them, Francisco claims his grandfather is a gardener, even though he is actually a carpenter. It is only at the end of the day that the lie is found out. Then Abuelo shows Francisco the value of integrity, admonishing, "We do not lie for work," and taking steps to make restitution.

Bunting's understated text, written from the child's perspective, expresses the raw desperation that the most poverty-stricken people experience daily, helping the reader understand why Francisco would tell such a lie. But his grandfather's personal honor proves that, regardless of circumstances, even the lowest labor carries dignity and worth when it is carried out with self-respect.

This is a serious story, and even illustrated with Himler's wonderful paintings it retains a somber mood that might not draw readers in as easily as more lighthearted books. But it provides a vital, sympathetic glimpse into the world of immigrant day laborers while demonstrating the moral importance of honesty. It's a beautifully moving book which will help cultivate love and compassion for others.

9 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Darling story and great morals taught!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

Such a cute book! Very awesome lesson to the child about good work ethic and honesty! The boy and his grandfather are looking for work in America and they go to help a gardening company. The boy lies that his grandfather (who doesn’t speak any English) is a master gardener so they get taken on for the day. They end up not doing the job right and it’s so darling what the grandpa does to make amends!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

MMacGregor

Great mentor text

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 14, 2021

Verified Purchase

This was a great mentor text for my classroom.

Helpful

tykhomoon

Absolutely beautiful: in words, in illustrations, in the values it highlights

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 28, 2017

Verified Purchase

Absolutely beautiful: in words, in illustrations, in the values it highlights. I bought it because I was looking for books about lying and this addresses the topic, but it's so much more! It's also so refreshing for a kids book to have a protagonist that is the grandkid of a migrant worker. The story illuminates the perspective of the little boy, the grandpa, the gardener. All around so well done and full of wisdom and empathy.
Also both of my kids love it and request it frequently!

5 people found this helpful

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Purchasing

Second Graders Enjoy

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 6, 2020

Verified Purchase

My class really enjoys this book. It keeps their attention and is easy to read.

Helpful

Daniel L. Berek

An Honest Story about Honesty and Hard Work

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 24, 2002

Verified Purchase

Let me begin by saying that I am a big fan of Eve Bunting and admire her for writing about people who otherwise receive little attention in stories. "A Day's Work" is worthy of that reputation. It is a story of day laborers from Mexico; moreover, it describes how the whole family pulls together to make ends meet (a theme that Francisco Jimenez beautifully explores in "The Circuit/Cajas de Carton). Though it's a simple story, there are several surprise twists. As with her other stories, Eve Bunting tells this one with her characteristic sensitivity without indulging in, you know, the mushy stuff. This book will enable children and adults alike to take a new look at honesty and, as the title says, a day's work.

34 people found this helpful

Helpful

J.P.

A tale on honesty

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

Wonderful, heart-touching book! A grandfather teaches his grandson the value of honesty in the context of work. Love the illustrations. On the list of future books for my grandson.

Helpful