Review by Booklist Review
Portrayed as bear cubs wearing clothes, a happy group of youngsters holds up a banner displaying the alphabet. The letters reappear in order at the beginning of each line of verse, starting with, Alphabet from A to Z, / Books that are just right for me. / Crayons for coloring, in my hand, / Dump trucks playing in the sand. After a series of activities, such as eating snacks, using the potty, and making pictures with glue sticks and glitter, the cubs gather their gear and climb onto their school bus. The alphabet-book text rolls along at a steady pace, managing even letters like Q, X, and Z with ease, while the ideas in the verse come to life in the ink-and-watercolor artwork. Best known as the illustrator of the Tacky the Penguin books, Munsinger contributes a nicely varied series of scenes showing cubs engaged in childlike activities. A sunny vision of preschool that many young children will enjoy.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A group of bears celebrates a full day at school in this cheery alphabet book. In verse that never misses a beat, Katz describes familiar classroom activities for each letter of the alphabet: "Kitchen during free-choice hour,/ Letter blocks that build a tower!/ Magnets to be traced in pen,/ Numbers- I can count to ten!" Munsinger's always cozy paintings emphasize cooperation and fun as the bears play with glitter, jump rope, play an outdoor game of "duck, duck, goose," and listen attentively during a read-aloud session with their teacher. It all adds up to an energetic outing with plenty of parallels to preschoolers' and kindergarteners' own school days. Ages 3-5. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Like Katz's ABC, Baby Me! (Scholastic, 2010), ABC School's for Me! uses the alphabet to carry readers through the rhyming text. A preschool class of young bear friends learns the alphabet, colors, traces, hears stories, plays, crafts, and cooperates throughout the day. Colorful yet soft illustrations convey warm, friendly, and fun thoughts about school. Adult readers can help young children explore the details of the illustrations to uncover various activities, emotions, and personalities that they may experience in preschool. VERDICT A furry and fun introduction to the preschool experience.-Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa © Copyright 2015. 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 Horn Book Review
Well-metered rhymes tell the ABCs of school. From books, crayons, and dump trucks to letters, numbers, and opposites, this alphabetical list of school elements smoothly covers even the trickiest of letters. Munsinger's pictures feature expressive bears making glitter art, practicing writing, and playing in the sandbox. Not the least bit didactic, this concept book will be returned to repeatedly. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Anthropomorphized bears lead readers on a rhyming ABC tour through some typical school-day sights and activities. "Alphabet from A to Z, // Books that are just right for me. / Crayons for coloring, in my hand, / Dump trucks, playing in the sand." The featured letter is highlighted in a color so readers can pick it out from the otherwise black type. Katz's rhythms and rhymes are spot-on, and she tackles the tough letters with aplomb: "imagination," "quacks" (during a game of duck, duck, goose), "upstairs," "xylophones" (kindergarten being one of the only places these instruments are commonplace), and "zipping" up backpacks. From food and special classes to playing and getting along with friends, it's all here, even a "Visit to the potty, proud." Munsinger's watercolors show a classroom full of adorable bears working hard at whatever they are doing, whether that's using glitter and glue, trying to jump rope, or tracing letters. With few exceptions, though, their faces all show similar expressions of happiness, which doesn't reflect the reality of a kindergarten classroom full of diverse personalities. Deborah Lee Rose's The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), illustrated by Carey Armstrong-Ellis, does a much better job of that and mixes in humor as well. A fun-to-read-aloud introduction to kindergarten, if not the top of the heap. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
