Review by New York Times Review
It's time for school, and a boy can't locate his socks, ball, book and so on. (Sound familiar?) This board book hits its mark wonderfully by turning that daily parenting quagmire into a graphically appealing seek-and-find adventure, with a clever lesson in colors thrown in. Light ("Swap!"), a master of pen and ink, adds one colored object to his retro-bold black lines on every page, asking his audience to track it down. On the last page the school bus arrives - yikes! - before the boy's got hold of his lunchbox. Mom to the rescue. DON'T GO TO SCHOOL! By Máire Zepf. Illustrated by Tarsila Krüse. 40 pp. Sterling. $14.95. (Picture book; ages 3 - 6) In this gentle, funny debut tale of helicopter parenting taken to its logical extreme, Benno, a dapper young bear, is excited about his first day of school, but Mom is having a tough time. Is that scenario a stab at reverse psychology aimed to help quell kids' fear, or a social comment aimed at hoverers? Well, both. "Stay here with me, Benno!" she cries, then tries to get him to leave the playground because "I don't know anyone here!" Krüse's art, in bear-friendly shades of honey and moss, is as warm and balanced as Zepf's story. THE TEACHER'S PET ByAnica Mrose Rissi. Illustrated byZachariah OHora. 32 pp. Disney-Hyperion. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 3 - 6) The teacher in this amusing classroom story is named, ominously, Mr. Stricter, but he's as tenderhearted as they come - which is a big problem when the class tadpole, Bruno, turns out to be a hippo. As Bruno wreaks havoc, Mr. Stricter showers him with praise. The children must get their teacher to wise up and show Bruno the door. Rissi (the "Anna, Banana" books), with her edge-of-grossout humor, and OHora ("Horrible Bear!"), with his giant-headed, candy-colored people, have over-the-top sensibilities that mesh fantastically. TWINDERGARTEN Written by Nikki Ehrlich. Illustrated by Zoey Abbott. 32 pp. Harper. $15.99. (Picture book; ages 4 - 6) For the ever-growing number of school-age twins, kindergarten is not just the start of elementary school, but the first real separation from their siblings. This reassuring debut feels up-to-date as it follows biracial twins named Dax and Zoe, used to going together "like peanut butter and jelly." They zig and zag through believable emotional reactions to being in different classrooms on their first day of school. With calm white space and feathery but orderly lines, Abbott's lovely colored-pencil art makes the schoolday seem like a breeze. ZOMBELINA SCHOOL DAYS By Kristýn Crow. Illustrated by Molly Idle. 32 pp. Bloomsbury. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 - 8) Zombie humor seems like a good match for first-day jitters. Witness a little green schoolgirl called Zombelina. The eager little undead dancer is back for her third book, and she waltzes right into her classroom ready for some clever rhyming action. She raises her hand, but it falls to the floor; she really puts her nose in a book. But she's in better shape than a shy, blue ghoul named Morty, whom she reaches out to help. The Caldecott Honor-winning Idle's ("Flora and the Flamingo") art seems to glide and dance mischievously across the pages. ONLINE An expanded visual presentation of this week's column is at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [August 27, 2017]
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Light's scribbly, detailed drawing style and careful use of color are ideally suited to a seek-and-find story, and this one is equal parts stylish and fun. While preparing for school, a boy asks readers to help him locate his socks, pencil case, and other items. His questions and comments appear on left-hand pages ("I need to find my crayon"), surrounded by a bright color that Light uses to highlight each hidden object (the teal crayon is tucked among toothbrushes in the bathroom and further masked by the blue wall behind it). Through the boy's busy, messy morning, Light reminds readers that there's a world of things to see and do before the school day starts. Ages 2-5. Agency: Wernick & Pratt. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Part color book, part search-and-find, this simple and eye-catching board book is sure to please the youngest of patrons. A boy is getting ready for school and needs to locate essential items, including his socks, pencil case, book, and lunch box. Each missing item is hidden among the everyday clutter in his house. Bold black-and-white illustrations with bright backgrounds highlight the missing object, which appears in a contrasting color. The story has a sweet ending: the child thanks his mom for tracking down all of his belongings before he boards the school bus. The last page reveals all of his missing items and names the colors they represent (teal crayon, yellow ball, green marbles). VERDICT This new twist on the traditional concept book is great for the preschool crowd and is suited to lap reading. A charming purchase for most primary library collections.-Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh © Copyright 2017. 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 Kirkus Book Review
A getting-ready-for-school book for little ones who are learning their colors.A pink-cheeked white boy is getting ready for school in the morning, but he needs readers' help in finding something in each spread. On the verso is the spare text. "Time for school. Where are my socks?" The background of this page is pink, the same color as the socks readers are trying to spy. Black-and-white ink drawings fill the recto pages with scenes inside the boy's house, outside his brownstone, and on the sidewalk waiting for the school bus, the item being sought the only spot of color. The boy's family includes a dad in a shirt and tie, a little sister, and a mother with a ponytail and a skirt. The final page lists all eight items and their colors, including a crayon, a robot, a pencil case, a ball, a book, some marbles, and a lunch box. The colors include red through blue, purple, pink, and teal. Light's illustrations are filled with lots of detailsenough to make spotting each colored object something of a challengeand adults sharing this with toddlers can easily give them more items to find, match, and count and thereby extend the fun. This may turn the dreaded morning routine into a game, and what could be more welcome than that? (Board book. 2-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
