Review by Booklist Review
All over town, children are waking up. In just a few short, rhythmic lines per page, this brightly colored title describes how different children in a community prepare for their first day of school: some kids spring out of bed, while others burrow under the covers. Some eat breakfast alone; others talk with their families about the day ahead. Some arrive at the school yard and hold back tears; others rush to meet friends. Finally, the new students assemble with their teachers and principal to share in a first-day celebration of cupcakes and good wishes for the new year. Throughout, Milord's smoothly cadenced language focuses on small sensory and routine details that many children will find reassuringly familiar. DePalma's bright acrylics highlight the diversity in the multicultural student body and match the story's buoyant tone. A note about first-day celebrations closes this festive story that reinforces the sense that what happens in each family, and with each child, is both common and special.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2008 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-There are many picture books about the first day of school, and this one, though pleasant enough, adds nothing new to the topic. The story follows a variety of generic children from different ethnic and family backgrounds as they wake up and get ready for the big day. Some are eager while others are apprehensive. Finally, the students and parents assemble in "an enormous room" surrounded by caring teachers and staff and wish one another a "Happy School Year." The text is simple and the pacing is a little slow. Milord spends eight pages before she even announces that it is the first day of school. The book mentions some common concerns, but they magically float away when the principal delivers her welcome. DePalma's simple acrylic cartoon illustrations match the tepid, nonthreatening tone of the text. Pastel colors and smiley faces abound. This book might help soothe an individual child who is apprehensive about the first day of school, but it does not have enough story or humor to hold the attention of a group. Try Katie Davis's Kindergarten Rocks (Harcourt, 2005) for a good read-aloud.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A first-day-of-school celebration featuring cupcakes and a group cheer led by a smiling principal concludes this sunny account. "All over town, children are waking up." They follow their varied morning routines then make their way, some with excitement, some with trepidation, in a matter-of-factly reassuring present-tense narrative. DePalma's illustrations depict a recurring, multiethnic cast of children with a range of emotions; in one jarringly false note, one blond little girl sports bizarrely large blue eyes, in dramatic and unfortunate contrast to the others' more subdued dots. Includes an author's note on First Day celebrations. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
