Review by Booklist Review
Stanley the hamster, who changes his occupation in each volume of the series, now teams up with Hattie (another hamster) to run a school for Benjamin (a brown mouse), Sophie (a little white mouse), and Little Woo (possibly an aardvark). In the morning, the children don dress-up costumes: Sophie becomes a dragon, Little Woo a knight, and Benjamin a princess. They listen to stories, play outdoors, and water their sunflowers in the garden. Staff and students lunch together, take their naps, and work on a large painting. After the school day ends, Stanley returns home for supper, a bath, and bedtime. The story closes with a line now familiar to series fans, Goodnight, Stanley. Order, balance, and contentment seem fundamental to the charm of this amiable series for young children. An English artist and designer, Bee keeps the text straightforward and, in a good way, predictable. In the artwork, white backgrounds intensify the strength of the bold drawings and the brilliance of the bright, flat colors. A pleasing addition to this popular series.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Toddler-PreS-This cheerful little book is the sixth in the series about Stanley, a hamster who does a variety of things that will be engaging for preschoolers. This installment features Stanley as a teacher. The children put their things away as they enter the school, hear a story, have playtime, work in the garden, have lunch, have a nap, paint exuberantly, and then everybody goes home. There's even a small focus on natural consequences: one of the characters forgets to water his sunflower. The digitally created pictures are flat-lined drawings with bright colors. The pictures are inviting and help to move the story along. There are ample opportunities for readers to identify things they might find in school in the pictures, such as blocks, slides, and rulers. Some readers might make a connection to the "Miffy" books by Dick Bruna, which has a similar feel to the pictures and the gentleness of the story. The padded cover and limited text will be perfect for the smallest readers. VERDICT An engaging addition to any preschool library collection.-Debbie Tanner, S D Spady Montessori Elementary, FL © Copyright 2018. 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
This time around, hamster-of-all-trades Stanley (Stanley's Garage and others) is a teacher at his very own school (enrollment: three animal tots). Lap sitters will enjoy watching a typical preschool classroom's action unfold, including Stanley reading to his students and overseeing a messy painting project; they'll also have no quibble with the spotless digital art throughout, in which Stanley wears a jaunty, green mortarboard befitting his station. (c) Copyright 2019. 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
Stanley the hamster welcomes a cast of preschool rodents to his school as they enjoy a day of fun and learning together.Hattie, Stanley's assistant (also a hamster), rings the bell and ushers the children in. Stanley, wearing a green mortar board, takes attendanceSophie and Benjamin (mice) and Little Woo (a mole?)before reading a story, the children donning costumes to match the tale: Sophie's a dragon, Little Woo's a knight, and Benjamin's a princess (in blue crown and tutu). During playtime, the three act out the story, but Benjamin, now equipped with a sword but still tutu-clad, changes the ending. In the garden, the children measure their beautiful sunflowers, but Little Woo's forgotten to water his. Both his disappointment and Stanley's empathy are plain. Lunch, nap time (for the adults, too!), and painting round out the day before Hattie rings the bell again and the students board the bus. Stanley heads home for the series' typical ending: supper, a bath, and bed. The digital illustrations are done in a graphic style, with clean, sharp lines and solid, neon-bright colors. Bee isn't afraid to break gender stereotypes, though Sophie does still sport a purple bow in her tail and Hattie, a flower in her ear.Fans of the gentle hamster will want to know: What occupation will Stanley tackle next? (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
