Soothing the start-of-school jitters

REVIEWS BY JENNIFER ROBINSON

As summer fun winds down, it's time to get ready for the start of a new school year. Anticipation abounds as children and parents alike are greeted with mounds of unsullied school supplies, teachers to meet and greet, and a host of new routines to master. Inevitably, all that change brings a flutter of nervousness to even the most brave-hearted of students, especially those entering school for the first time. A warm lap and a good book can do wonders to ease the worried mind.

Tommy's big adventure

A Place Called Kindergarten, written by Jessica Harper, certainly fits the bill. The animals on the farm are in a state because their daily visitor, Tommy, has failed to appear. His usual offerings of apples, biscuits and corn are sorely missed. But more importantly, the absence of his cheery song and friendly talk leave them feeling blue. Fortunately, the knowledgeable dog informs them that Tommy has "gone in a big yellow bus" to a place called Kindergarten. What ensues is a battery of questions, much like those an anxious child might pose. What is Kindergarten anyway and do you ever come back? The animals' onomatopoetic asides will amuse young readers. G. Brian Karas superbly portrays the rural setting using pencil and watercolor washes, flooding each page with warm, comforting light. Tommy's eventual return captures all the thrill of new adventure and the wonderment of learning. Harper and Karas, who also paired on I Like Where I Am, ably offer a tale that will reassure both parents and children.


Role play

Italian author and illustrator Eva Montanari brings us a fresh angle on the first day of school in A Very Full Morning. Little Tooth is a rabbit whose "head is full of thoughts" as she awaits her visit to "a very special place." She faces the predicament of many a school child as she lies in bed unable to sleep the night before school begins. Morning does arrive, however, and having donned a worthy dress and consumed her breakfast, Little Tooth sets off for school. The journey is full of an overwhelming number of doors, books, bags and unfamiliar faces, and with each subsequent illustration the viewer feels the gnawing apprehension that engulfs the rabbit's heart. Montanari's acrylics with colored pencil present a unique perspective, with the character's elongated ears and school hallways that twist and turn in surreal movement. Tension builds until a surprise announcement made when Little Tooth enters the classroom sets everyone at ease.


Something in my pocket

In Angela McAllister's Take a Kiss to School, we are introduced to our young character, Digby, following his first day of school. Though all has proceeded well, Digby awakes the next morning struck with worry that he will not remember how to act or what to do in all the new situations he will encounter. With the reassurance that only a parent can provide, Digby's mother eases his fears by leaving him with a pocket full of kisses. Digby makes use of the kisses throughout the day, whenever uncertainty arises. Before long, he meets Otterly, another anxious classmate, and in sharing kindness discovers his own bravery and ability to cope with the newness that school brings. In this charming tale, illustrated with Sue Hellard's gentle watercolors, readers are reminded that no matter what changes life introduces, love endures.


School-time, in rhyme

Finally, there is nothing like a bit of humor to allay the fears of brand-new students. Jack Prelutsky wows readers once again with charming rhyme and rhythm in his latest poetry collection, What a Day It Was at School!. With cartoon-like drawings by Doug Cushman, Prelutsky tackles an array of topics from weighty backpacks to food fights. A young cat narrates each poem, relating his school-time escapades to his mother. Poem titles are cleverly outlined in a table of contents, written down in the cat's spiral-bound journal. This playful romp through education sets just the right tone to get the new school year off to a promising start. "


Jennifer Robinson is a teacher in Baltimore.

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