One Today - by Richard Blanco (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

One Today is a picture book featuring a lyrical inaugural poem by Richard Blanco and illustrations by #1 bestselling Caldecott Honor artist Dav Pilkey -- now with a new cover!

President Barack Obama invited Richard Blanco to write a poem to share at his second presidential inauguration. That poem is One Today, a lush and lyrical, patriotic commemoration of America from dawn to dusk and from coast to coast. Brought to life here by beloved, award-winning artist Dav Pilkey, One Today is a tribute to a nation where the extraordinary happens every single day.

"I'm honored that Richard Blanco will join me and Vice President Biden at our second Inaugural. His contributions to the fields of poetry and the arts have already paved the path forward for future generations of writers. Richard's writing will be wonderfully fitting for an Inaugural that will celebrate the strength of the American people and our nation's great diversity." -- President Barack Obama

Review Quotes

"One Today is an evocative visual rendering of the poem Richard Blanco composed for President Obama's second inauguration. The fullness of our multicultural society on display in this remarkable read can lead to talk about how the United States exemplifies the words on our national seal..." -- Los Angeles Times

* "Richard Blanco is a graceful wordsmith, and Pilkey transforms his poem into a story that children can make their own." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "There are themes, motifs, and details that will make this a book to be read and reread, or simply looked at -- for the images tell many stories too." -- Booklist, starred review

* "When it was read, the poem was instantly acclaimed; Pilkey's visual interpretation fully -- and joyfully -- honors it." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"A special historic moment, caught in lyrical words and joyous illustrations..." -- School Library Journal

"Illustrations are full-color and bright, with strong hues, great perspective, and simplicity, to highlight and accurately reflect the theme. The text and illustrations can be used for a variety of activities and instruction." -- School Library Connection

About the Author

Selected by President Obama as the fifth Presidential Inaugural Poet in U.S. history, Richard Blanco was the youngest, the first Latinx, immigrant, and gay person to serve in that role. In 2023, Blanco was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Born in Madrid to Cuban exile parents and raised in Miami in a working-class family, Blanco's personal negotiation of cultural identity and the universal themes of place and belonging characterize his many collections of poetry. He has also authored the memoirs For All of Us, One Today, and The Prince of Los Cocuyos. Blanco has received numerous awards, including the Agnes Starrett Poetry Prize, the PEN American Beyond Margins Award, the Patterson Prize, and a Lambda Prize for memoir. He was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and has received numerous honorary degrees. Currently, he serves as Education Ambassador for the Academy of American Poets and is an Associate Professor at Florida International University. In April 2022, Blanco was appointed the first-ever Poet Laureate of Miami-Dade County.

When Dav Pilkey was a kid, he was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. Dav was so disruptive in class that his teachers made him sit out in the hallway every day. Luckily, Dav loved to draw and make up stories. He spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books -- the very first adventures of Dog Man and Captain Underpants. In the second grade, Dav's teacher ripped up his comics and told him he couldn't spend the rest of his life making silly books. Fortunately, Dav was not a very good listener.