A VERY FULL MORNING (PICTURE BOOK)

PICTURE BOOK
A VERY FULL MORNING by Eva Montanari (Houghton Mifflin)

The first day of school is so exciting, Little Tooth can hardly get to sleep! The big day comes. What to wear? What to eat for breakfast? She passes a path of stones, a yard full of bookbags, and walks through a corridor of doors to a room full of desks...which one is hers? A surprise ending creates an empathetic bond between student and teacher that is sure to start the school year out right. Angular, stylized illustrationswith distorted, exaggerated perspectives add to the dreamy, maze-like feeling of being the new person in a new place. (4 and up)

Also of interest:
MR. OUCHY'S FIRST DAY
by B.G. Hennessy, illustrated by Paul Meisel (Putnam)
Mr. Ouchy is a bundle of nerves before school starts, but once he gets rolling, all is well. The male prespective is refreshing, the list of what kids want to learn is inspired, and realistic dialogue gives this story extra snap! Told in short sections that feel extra grown-up in a picture book format, the lively banter will beguile fans of Suzy Kline's HORRIBLE HARRY series (one of my favorite voices for telling a classroom story). My favorite part is when Mr. Ouchy talks to his mommy at the end of the day to let her know that he got a haircut and wore his blue shirt, and, yes, "my class is the best!" (5 and up)

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.