Review by New York Times Review
In these books, back-to-school jitters give way to smiles, laughs - even a little learning. MAE'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL Written and illustrated by Kate Berube. "I'm not going" is a phrase parents dread this time of year, but a book as clever and friendly as this one may ease the situation. As the first day of school dawns, Mae is holding out, arms crossed, imagining disaster as her mom and dad hustle her out the door, insisting that fun lies ahead. She climbs a tree, where she's joined by a girl named Rosie. Then a "tall lady" climbs the tree too, and tells the kids her own reasons for not wanting to go. She's their teacher, of course - a playful stroke by Berube ("Hannah and Sugar"), whose loose-lined art makes even scrunchy scowls seem delightful. 32 pp. Abrams. $16.99. (Ages 3 to 6) WE DON'T EAT OUR CLASSMATES Written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins. Penelope, a young T-rex in pink overalls, wants to be a good classmate. She just has to kick her habit of ingesting her peers, who all happen to be children. Higgins ("Mother Bruce") knows how to make big, scary animals seem vulnerable, lovable and funny, adding a strategic touch of gross-out when our heroine spits her victims back up. But this story of a reformed predator - Penelope changes her ways after a goldfish chomps her finger - is really about empathy. 48 pp. Hyperion. $17.99. (Ages 3 to 8) THE DAY YOU BEGIN By Jacqueline Woodson. Illustrated by Rafael López. Starting a new school year is hard enough. Add in feeling different from your classmates, and it can shake a kid to the core. The incomparable Woodson ("Brown Girl Dreaming") and López ("Drum Dream Girl") extend a reassuring hand in this verbally and visually poetic book that soothes concerns about having the wrong hair, bringing strongsmelling lunches, speaking imperfect English or spending the summer vacation at home. The kids we meet all take a first step toward making the most of school: finding the bravery to tell their own stories out loud. 32 pp. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen. $18.99. (Ages 4 to 8) THE DINOSAUR EXPERT By Margaret McNamara. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. This fourth book featuring Mr. Tiffin's class (the previous one was "A Poem in Your Pocket") takes on both the excitement of a field trip to a natural-history museum and one girl's struggle to feel confident sharing her vast knowledge of prehistoric creatures - especially after a boy informs her, "Girls can't be scientists." Mr. Tiffin to the rescue: He steers her to an exhibit featuring Dr. Brandoni Gasparini, dinosaur expert. As always, McNamara and Karas excel at telling a story that balances facts and feelings. 40 pp. Random House/Schwartz & Wade. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 8) BESTFRINTSATSKROOL Written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis. Did you know that "on planet Boborp, childrinx go to skrool"? Of course they do! This exuberant follow-up to "Best Frints in the Whole Universe" explains the ins and outs of the little aliens' raucous way of learning (with a little lunch-throwing in the mix). The language Portis has invented for these colorful characters is hilarious and easy to follow - silly perfection, and maybe even an inspiration for little linguists to make up their own. 40 pp. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 8) GOODBYE BRINGS HELLO By Dianne White. Illustrated by Daniel Wiseman. Starting school also means letting go of the trappings of little-kid life. This wise book bears witness to the transitions that lead up to that big one: growing out of favorite clothes, moving from trike to bike and from crayons to pencils. White ("Blue on Blue") and Wiseman ("Play This Book") keep the tone encouraging and gentle, offering a chance for even the youngest kids to indulge their nostalgia. 40 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $17.99. (Ages 3 to 7) TWIG Written and illustrated by Aura Parker. It's tough being a stick insect. You blend in easily - all too easily, as Heidi, the new girl at bug school, finds. When it comes to making friends, long, lean, woody-brown Heidi suffers, because no one can see her beyond her camouflage until the kind spider-teacher comes up with a solution (a scarf). Truth be told, there's not much to the story, but this adorable debut by Parker teems with delicate details, many of them visual puzzles. 32 pp. Simon & Schuster. $17.99. (Ages 4 to 8) MR. WOLF'S CLASS Written and illustrated by Aron Nels Steinke. This upbeat graphic novel - the beginning of a promising new series - chronicles the activities of a bustling class of fourth graders and their devoted, slightly overwhelmed teacher, Mr. Wolf. Yes, he's a wolf; the students are a host of animals, including a frog, a duck, a dog and a rabbit. Everyone has hands and feet and walks upright, though, and their problems and behavior are strikingly like their counterparts in schools for human children - only funnier. 160 pp. Scholastic/Graphix. $9.99. (Ages 6 to 10) MARIA RUSSO is the children's books editor at the Book Review.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [January 31, 2019]
Review by Booklist Review
On the first day of school, Mae announces, I'm not going. Though her mother points out benefits such as long, wild recesses, Mae dwells on her fears. When they arrive at school, Mae climbs a tree, determined to stay there. Another girl joins her, and then a tall woman. Each has first-day jitters for the same reasons: the kids might not like them! They might make mistakes! They might miss home! Then they reflect that they like one another and that school is a place for learning new things. Reassured, the girls and their teacher enter the school together. While children reluctant to start school may feel unspoken anxiety, this reassuring narrative gives the characters time to express the specific fears, consider them, and dispel them. Rather childlike in its simplicity, freshness, and direct approach, the appealing mixed-media artwork uses strong lines to define the characters and settings, while color washes brighten the scenes and crayon-like marks add texture. A reassuring, gently amusing picture book for children anticipating (or remembering) their first day of school.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Mae insists that school is a no-go for her: "What if the other kids didn't like her, and what if she was the only one who didn't know how to write, and what if she missed her mother?" She hides in a big tree by the school door and is soon joined on a branch by like-minded girl Rosie and then by "tall lady" Ms. Pearl-whom, readers will quickly surmise, is none other than Mae and Rosie's teacher. But instead of coaxing the girls down, Ms. Pearl folds her arms stubbornly and announces her intention to stay in the tree, too: "What if the kids don't like me? Or what if I forget how to spell Tuesday? Or what if I miss my cat?" Berube (Hannah and Sugar) is an astute and funny portraitist of children's anxieties, and the first day of school is tailor-made for her talents. Ages 3-7. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-When Mae wakes up on the first day of school she announces to her parents that she will not be going. Her unrelenting parents get her out of the house and all the way to the schoolyard; but the moment her mother's back is turned, Mae makes her escape up a tree. Sitting there in the shady branches she considers never going to school, maybe even never leaving the tree. She is quite surprised when another small person named Rosie climbs up and announces that she will not be going to school either. The two share some cookies and it becomes clear that they're afraid of the same things. It takes the arrival of a third unexpected tree climber, a tall lady named Ms. Pearl, to convince them all to venture into kindergarten. The text is lighthearted but realistic and the mixed media illustrations show a bright, beautiful day while Mae's prominent scowl and obstinate expression contrasts excellently with her mother's happy exuberance. Best of all, the story doesn't trivialize Mae and Rosie's fears and takes time to affirm the bravery necessary to take a big step such as going to school for the first time. VERDICT Reassuring and silly, this is a welcome addition to most collections.-Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library © 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
It's Mae's first day of school, but she's "not going." She hides in a schoolyard tree and before long, another little girl and then teacher Ms. Pearl climb up with similar fears, which gives them all the confidence to go inside. This sweet twist on the perennial first-day-of-school theme reassures readers with its textual repetition and the illustrations' soft lines and pastel hues. (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
There's nothing wishy-washy about Mae: She is "not going" to school!Despite her parents' best efforts, all Mae sees is "the things that could go wrong." The other kids might not like her, they all might know how to write (she does not), and she might miss her mother. As soon as she gets to school, she climbs a tree. Maybe she could live there. She's soon joined by Rosie, who is equally determined not to go to school: Other kids might not play with her, she might be asked to read (she doesn't know how yet), and she might miss her dad. Then Ms. Pearl climbs up, explaining that she's not going to school, either: The kids might not like her, she might "forget how to spell Tuesday," and she might miss her cat. Taking comfort from one another, the three descend to go to school. Berube's story takes its protagonist's fears seriously, and even though young readers are likely to anticipate the story's outcome, its respect for their emotions is clear. Repetition and patterning will help children participate in the telling and anticipate what will happen next. In the bright and splashy illustrations, Mae is depicted with pale skin and a thatch of black hair; Rosie has light brown skin and brown pigtails; Ms. Pearl has brown skin and a poof of tightly curled brown hair.A sweet affirmation of jitters and comfort in numbers. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
