Batter up for the first day of school!

PreS-Gr 1--It's the first day of school at Grand Slam Elementary and twins Hank and Erin, both with light skin and brown curly hair, are eager to go. They wake up cheerfully in their baseball-themed bedroom, while their parents radiate the enthusiastic energy of supportive fans. Hegedus's inventive game announcer narration increases the anticipation: "The Twins are off to a sluggish start. And here they come…with a bit more pep in their step…and they are ready for some fuel!" At Grand Slam Elementary, designed to replicate a baseball stadium, Hank and Erin meet their teacher, who plays the role of a coach. The class huddles for an overview of the dugout rules before starting their school day innings, which include art, spelling, lunch, and recess. Will Hank and Erin's first day of school be a home run? Reminiscent in style to his book Coqui in the City, Perez again digitally paints colorful illustrations, which are bright and uplifting. Endpapers are scattered with mitts, helmets, foam fingers, and pennants against a vibrant yellow-green background. Hegedus and Perez are a winning team, hyping up young readers for their own first day of school. Intent on positivity, anxious feelings about starting school are not addressed, leaving that experience to be tackled in other stories about the first day of school. VERDICT This is a peppy first day of school story to knock game-day jitters out of the park.--Emily Brush

It's the season opener for twins Hank and Erin, avid baseball fans ready for the first day of school. The youngsters' bedroom contains a bat propped up by the foot of the bed, pennants on the wall, and a planner marked "Game Day" alongside a "Back to School" reminder. Although Hank and Erin aren't exactly raring to go, once they have breakfast and set off for school, they get into the groove. It helps that everything seems to be baseball-themed, starting at home with their parents' call for the "sluggers" to awaken and continuing through a series of "morning drills" (brushing their teeth and combing their hair). And it doesn't stop when they arrive at Grand Slam Elementary--the day is broken up into innings, a spilled container of milk at lunch is a "foul ball," and their savvy teacher refers to the classroom as a dugout, with sporty rules and expectations clearly laid out ("Be kind to every player"; "when you hit the field, safety first"). When the kids are called up to the blackboard for a spelling exercise, they initially get it wrong ("It's a swing and a miss!") before triumphing: "And the crowd goes wild!" The fast-paced text and lively digital paintings give the book energy to spare. For these youngsters, it's a promising start to the school year, er, season--hot diggity dog! The curly-haired tots and their parents are tan-skinned; their classmates are diverse. All the bases are loaded for a great back-to-school read.(Picture book. 5-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.