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AND THEN COMES SCHOOL

Name: AND THEN COMES SCHOOL
Author: Tom Brenner
ISBN: 978-1-5362-0913-6

by Tom Brenner ; illustrated by Jen Hill ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 13, 2023

A back-to-school book refreshingly focused on the sensory feel of the familiar season.

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Summer comes to a close as a family prepares for the first day of school.

The sights, sounds, smells, and feel of the season’s end come through on each page of this picture book. Brenner’s lyrical verse follows a soothing pattern: “WHEN…the leaves of trees seem tired by noon,” “THEN, with fingers stained deep purple, watch as / the berries bob and boil into glistening jam.” “WHEN pumpkins take on an orange tinge,” “THEN bring in baskets / of flowers and fruits / and veggies.” Meanwhile, a light-skinned family helps a child get ready for the first day of school. A list of school supplies is sent home, a first-day outfit is chosen, and then the big day arrives. Hill’s mixed-media illustrations pair perfectly with the text, adding movement and depth as the sun sets on a game of flashlight tag and as a rush of students heads into the school and settles into a new classroom. While the story might help prepare anxious readers for the new year, it mostly plays up the mood and energy surrounding the wind down of summer, making for a rather original take on the subject. Background characters, including the students at the end, are diverse; one student uses a wheelchair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A back-to-school book refreshingly focused on the sensory feel of the familiar season. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 13, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-5362-0913-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: March 28, 2023

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
AND THEN COMES SUMMER
by Tom Brenner ; illustrated by Jaime Kim

- BOOK REVIEW
AND THEN COMES CHRISTMAS
by Tom Brenner ; illustrated by Jana Christy

- BOOK REVIEW
AND THEN COMES HALLOWEEN
by Tom Brenner and illustrated by Holly Meade

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)