Never, not ever!

Pascaline is an adorable five-year-old bat with furry wings of mauve, but it's the look on her face that stands out--her large, shadowed eyes hold an incendiary mix of resolve, contempt, and humor. Assurances from Pascaline's parents that school will be exciting produce only rebellion--the storm of her resistance shrivels her parents to the size of two peanuts, and Pascaline, mollified, heads off for school with them: "Now I don't have to go to school by myself! I'll tuck both of you here, under my wing." Via her signature art style, Alemagna has an uproarious time imagining what school is like in the company of one's tiny parents ("You two are really impossible!" Pascaline scolds when her father jumps into her soup). First-time school-goers need their parents, hints this picture book, but only for security--and not for very long. Ages 4--8. (July)

A five-year-old bat named Pascaline refuses to go to school. On the first day, as the other young animals parade past her window, Pascaline clings to the furniture in her family's tree house. Her mom and dad insist it will be fun, she'll learn so much, she'll make new friends. "Never, not ever!" Pascaline screams -- so loudly that her parents "shrivel up." When she sees that she can tuck them under her wing and bring them along ("'Oh no! NO WAY!' Mom and Dad yell," in a diminutive font), Pascaline decides to try school after all. She doesn't start the day with separation anxiety like the other little bats, but it turns out that dealing with her miniature parents isn't so easy. The story ends with a complete, and humorous, reversal. This creative take on a first-day-of-school tale offers a glimpse of how things really might go if kids didn't have to leave their parents behind. Witnessing what a nuisance they can be will elicit chuckles as readers recognize the irony of the parent-child role reversal and relate to the care-taking dilemmas. The mixed-media illustrations use a subdued color scheme and distinct emotional expressions to distinguish a variety of personalities and experiences. An entertaining pick for the start of school. Autumn Allen September/October 2021 p.58(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.