PLAY DAY SCHOOL DAY

An elementary-age student shares what school is like with a younger sibling.

It’s the day before school starts again for Mona, who’s excited. When Milo asks what school is like, Mona briefly lists what goes on there while the two use the outside world to act the activities out. Mona pulls Milo in a red wagon to simulate riding a school bus. Milo practices reading and writing by weaving flowers into a chain-link fence to spell M-I-L-O. When Mona talks about learning science, Milo (and readers) looks closely at the denizens of the yard, and the siblings ponder a sunflower and some birds in the sky when the topic of math is mentioned. Art and music see Milo drumming with sticks on an upturned bucket while Mona dances. The final spreads cap this charming day. “School sounds fun!” Milo opines. “It is,” Mona agrees, adding, “And so is playing with you.” Yuly’s artwork uses bold primary colors and chunky shapes against a white background to keep the focus on the sibling interactions. Both children have pink skin; Mona has long red braids while Milo has scribbly brown hair and glasses. A black cat joins in on their adventure, and tiny details in the otherwise uncluttered, simple illustrations will delight. Short sentences and easy vocabulary make this one emerging readers can tackle on their own.

A tender tale just right for those returning to school to share with their own younger siblings.