Any parent who has read this book will tell you that it can move you to tears. What makes this an outstanding book is that it uses science in a magical way. It is an inclusive book -- regardless of one's values and the place of religion in one's family life, this book fits in neatly. Since it does not make relationship associations, it can be read to children whether they are your birth child, adopted, foster child, grandchild, godchild or friend. The tone of the text provides positive affirmation of a person's individuality. It is written for babies, but can apply to everyone regardless of age. It does not condescend, either by tone or language. The use of paper illustrations with their clean, bold lines and colors captures and holds my 18-month-old daughter's attention every time we read it, making it easy for her to point out various shapes and objects. It is easy to read this one many times without becoming tedious. I applaud Debra Frasier for her effective celebration of life. If you are a book giver, and looking for a gift for a new baby, or even a toddler, this is an excellent choice. Or even if you are a grandparent, or just have small children visit you, what an excellent addition to your own library this book will be.

This book was given to me by my mother, on the day my daughter was born. I can't read it without feeling that tender lump rise in my throat, and even included a reading of it in my daughter's Blessing ceremony. This book reinforces how wonderful, special and treasured that children are. From the lovely illustrations to the story of the entire Mother Earth's presence and assistance in "giving birth", this is a must-have for any loving parent/child pair.

I have a hard time reading this book to my one year old - because my eyes well up with tears every time. It is the most moving children's book I have ever read. A wonderful gift to new parents.

I know that some reviewers feel that this book is exaggerated, unrealistic and that it gives a false perception to children that they are more special than they actually are, but you know what? I don't care. I read the good and bad reviews before ordering it and decided to go ahead anyway. I'm glad I did! The coming of my child may not have stirred anyone else's world but it sure stirred my husband's and mine. When I looked into his beautiful little eyes mine couldn't stop running, and when his little face touched my cheek my heart skipped a beat.

So this book may not speak about how my child's coming stirred your World or this World, but I'm sure as most parents will agree the beautiful description about the welcoming of a child into the World describes each parent's feelings about their own child's birth as each child is unique and special and even more special to a parent that has hopped and prayed for a happy, healthy and beautiful baby. I don't think there are enough stars to give this book so I will have to settle for the five.

Parents if your child's birth was so special to you that you felt the entire Universe stirred out of joy, then in your own little World it did. Every child's conception and birth are two of the greatest miracles in life. To feel that the whole world around you stirred to welcome your precious child and also letting your child know that this is how you felt about his/ her coming I feel, is the most beautiful gift you can give your child to thank them for enriching your life.

All I can add is that this book has found the most beautiful way to describe how I felt when I carried my son inside me for 40 weeks and when I looked into that beautiful tiny face when I first saw him.

"While you waited in darkness,
tiny knees curled to chin,
the Earth and her creatures
with the Sun and the Moon
all moved in their places,
each ready to greet you
the very first moment
of the very first day you arrived."

But most importantly my now 34 month old loves it and he likes the pictures too. He points to the animals and says what they are, and then at the sun, the moon, the rain, all beautiful miracles of God (or Nature if you prefer) and he points at the drawing of the baby and says Adrian, because as he knows in our eyes that represents him.

If you are a parent buy this book for your kids, if you aren't yet buy it as a gift, any new parent receiving this book I'm sure, will be grateful.

Thank you Debra Frasier

I wish I had known about this book long before now, because it would have been the only gift I would have given to any new parent. It certainly will be so from now on.

In the most beautiful and spiritual wording imaginable, this book tells a child in no uncertain terms that his or her birth was a celebration--a cosmic event that changed the world for the better. Although it has some New Age aspects to it, it transcends any religion or dogma, and is, quite simply, completely beautiful.

I want to buy it now, for my two teenaged children to cherish and keep. I want them to know that even though I often want to wring their respective teenaged necks, this is what they mean to me--every single word in this glorious book. I have never felt so moved over a baby gift as I am over this one. It is truly a gift of the heart, not only for me, but for anyone who is, or who has just become, a parent.

Sometimes we forget just how much of a celebration the arrival of a new child can be. "On the Day You Were Born" is meant to remind us, and our children, now and forever. What a wonderful keepsake!!

This book filled me with awe and reverence... for the mircale of birth, yes...but, much more: for all the incredible creation around us, and the incredible creations we ALL are...I've just read this book...and will be reading it often in the future, I'm sure...It's a lovely book for welcoming newborns and for children to help them see their place in the world...BUT...my first copy will be a gift to a friend who will be 69 this week-end! It is a perfect expression of gladness and thanksgiving for the life of anyone you love and care about! I'm sure many relatives and friends will be getting copies from me soon!

"On the day you were born a forest of tall trees collected the Sun's light in their leaves, where, in silent mystery, they made oxygen for you to breathe..." Radiant and moving, it doesn't get much better than this explaining what went on in the Universe the day your child was born. A book that I highly recommend. A child will feel and know that they are a significant part of Universe. A beautiful book to give as a gift.Although this book is recommended for the 4-8 group, a child of 12 months will be fascinated and held captive with this book and grow along with the book.This is a beautiful book celebrating the joy and wonder when a child is born. It describes how everyone, from animals to people to Earth itself, celebrated when 'you'were born. A child can't help but feel loved and very special when this book is read to them. And the parent, who is reading the book, can't help but realize how wonderful bring a new baby into the world really is. This is an ideal gift for a family when a child is born.

I know many people truly love this book and I respect that. Give me a moment to tell what I wish had been different about it. What inspired me to read On The Day You Were Born was I was watching the DVD of the excellent production of Dr. Seuss' My Many Colored Days and saw a similar DVD of this advertised, so I went to the library and got the book for us--me and my cousin's pre-school aged son whom I was babysitting--to read. I had high hopes because the idea sounded so neat, but neither Tyler nor I were able to take it seriously for more than a moment. He said, "None of that happened!" And he was right. Whereas Debra Frasier could have made an interesting and true scientific story that fostered in a young mind the vast intricate panoply of life and the universe in its ongoing rhythms, she delivered something fluffy. She could have written about how on the day you were born the earth spun on it axis giving us daytime and nighttime, and the snows came farther down Mt Fuji, and salmon swam upstream on their return journey home, the grasses grew, comets raced around the solar system, and etc and it would have been an interesting account of a day's life on planet earth and in space. Ms. Frasier instead gave us an impossible fantasy about the whole planet being super-happy about the arrival of one more baby. Her claims that on the day you were born the fish and birds all got excited and told one another to look for you and the stars did dances and African animals marched in happy parades and other assorted impossible things, well, it missed the mark of fun fantasy and hit somewhere around "silly". I don't see this as a classic. The pictures were not that bright or interesting and the things the author claimed happened never did. While it's "all right" this book is not the great thing so many like to say it is.

In my family, we have used this book to start a yearly b-day tradition. I read this book to each of my children the night of her birthday with the whole family in attendence. I have yet to get through a reading without crying. Am tearing up thinking about it now LOL A lovely, touching book and a wonderful way to communicate to your children how deeply they are loved.

This is actually my favorite book in our children's private collection. At first I was not too thrilled with the pictures but over time they have grown on me...now they seem just perfect for the story. I noticed some reviews down the book because they feel it is too advanced for the age range suggeted; I personally disagree. In my opinion it is never too early to impart knowledge to our children. I particularly like that it involves the child in the story line so that they ASK what these things mean. I am surprised to see some (very few, yet some none the less) feel so differently about the book but I wanted to post in defense of the book because I feel it really is a true treasure. (Not that it really needed it at 4 1/2 stars...I just think it is 5 star worthy!) I also noticed one reader refer to the text as freakish. Wow! I am still trying to figure out how the text could be seen in that light!

The intire book is full of text such as:

On the day you were born the moon pulled on the ocean below, and, wave by wave, a rising tide washed the beaches clean for your footprints...
...while far out at sea clouds swelled with water drops, sailed to shore on a wind, and rained you a welcome across the Earth's green lands.

I have never seen science explained in such a way for a small child and I think it was HIGH TIME!

I just LOVE this book, and quite frankly, so do my 2 kids age 2 and 4!

I bought this beautiful book during one of my first trips out of the house with my newborn daughter. I first read it in the store-- given that my daughter's birth was SO fresh in my mind, and the fact that she was strapped to my chest gazing up at me, caused tears of nostalgic joy to spring to my eyes. All new mothers and babies should read this book together; I envision reading this with my daughter many, many times in the years to come. Each time I pick it up I am instantly transported to that magical moment in which she entered my world . .

Reading this book is a joyful way to celebrate and honor the birth of a child! The text and illustrations are magical and educational, too! My son received two copies of this book when he was born, and now we are sharing it with our daughter. We read this book so often that I recently had a dream about it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who cherishes our children and their place in the world.