Our classroom rules

PreS-K--There is a double meaning in the title: the first is that the classroom has a set of etiquette the pupils follow; the second is that this classroom rocks! A variety of wildlife, including a bear, a rabbit, a hedgehog, and a turtle, make up the student population led by their teacher, a fox with red eyeglasses. The youngsters understand and list the rules they follow, which include "We use our manners," "And we look out for each other." They each politely raise their paws before answering the teacher's questions and look proud of their civilized behavior and how well they get along. Cheerful digitally enhanced pencil illustrations offer insight into a classroom for the very young. Practicing printing, painting, and playing hopscotch are a few of the activities they take part in. Two tiny pink worms appear in many pictures and perform antics of their own, creating a beginner's seek-and-find game within the story. VERDICT Preschoolers and kindergartners are the audience for this book, which will give them an idea of what school is all about, both with activities and what's expected of them.--Maryann H. Owen

A peek into a classroom that may ease some little ones' first-day jitters. This isn't just any ordinary classroom; this one has anthropomorphic animal students, a fox teacher, and two worms for comic relief. Bear, Duck, Turtle, Rabbit, Porcupine, and Hedgehog make sure to follow the school rules: "be on time…and ready to learn," listen, work individually and together, play, clean up, line up, be polite, "look out for each other," "give new things a chance," "share ideas," express yourself, and take pride in your work. Readers follow along as the students go through a typical school day full of familiar or expected activities and sights: sitting at tables, raising hands, recess, classroom shelves of books and toys, lunch, the ever popular parachute in gym, sharing time, art. Along the way, the two worms will likely crack children up with their antics: They form the number 11 at the top of the hopscotch board and play their own version of parachute with a leaf; during sharing time, one flies across the room in a paper airplane. Fleck's pencil-and-digital illustrations bring to life the care the students feel for and show one another, and George has a couple sentences that really hit at the heart of the matter: "Mistakes are part of learning," and "we try to be our best. Not the best. Our best." (This book was reviewed digitally.) A sweet addition to the back-to-school shelf. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.