THE ONE DAY HOUSE

Young, bronze-skinned Wilson shares with his community and with his elder friend, Gigi, all the ways he wants to improve Gigi’s home one day—until “one day” arrives.

Before the formal title page, Wilson is seen gazing at a bright pink flier on the window of La Luna Cafe. Opposite this illustration is the flyer’s enlargement—“Build Up Neighbors”—entreating readers to “Fix a neighbor’s home together!” Wilson has apparently torn off one of the phone-numbered strips at the bottom. The text begins in earnest with Wilson telling Gigi that one day he will paint her house “orange and yellow like the sun.” As in each successive conversation between the two, Gigi likes his idea but also reminds Wilson that his presence in her life is more important than any home repair. In between these sweet litanies, Wilson tells such people as the ice cream man, a passing neighbor, and the local librarian of envisioned improvements. All conversations begin with Wilson’s “One day….” The vibrant, mixed-media artwork depicts an established neighborhood of mixed ethnicities. Scenes of neighborhood conversations are interspersed with Wilson’s own childlike, colored drawings, embellished by such details as his calculations of how many nails would be needed in a new fence. Art and text together radiate a warm message of community and caring.

A labor of love honoring labors of love.