WHAT A DAY IT WAS AT SCHOOL!
by Jack Prelutsky & illustrated by Doug Cushman
One would expect that Prelutsky’s poems about school would be rambunctious, warm, silly and laugh-out-loud funny, and this new collection does not disappoint. Brimming with gleeful humor, the poems hit on topics that will be familiar to all students, from the heft of heavy backpacks, the ups and downs of being a teacher’s pet and the excitement of field trips, to the frustration of homework, the perils of not studying and the joy of accomplishment and success. Descriptions of various subjects—math, science, spelling, writing, history, art, music, library and gym—are all here too, full of wit, observation and hilarious commentary. Cushman’s lively watercolor depictions of various felines, rodents and other small mammals, all with appropriately droll, pensive and jovial expressions, perfectly complement the text and add to the fun. Reluctant readers and poetry lovers alike will find plenty to laugh at and identify with here, and there is never an awkward line or a sour note—although in one poem, there is a rather unfortunate smell. (Picture book. 6-10)