Schemework,Teamwork! The Boxitects by Kim Smith

MEG WAS A BOXITECT.

SHE LOVED TO MAKE THINGS OUT OF BOXES. SHE MADE TINY HOUSES, TALL TOWERS, AND TWISTY TUNNELS.

Meg made a castle that dominated the family room. Meg's mom admired her cleverness and creativity, so she signed her up for Maker School, where she could develop her construction skills somewhere else for a while.

AT MAKER SCHOOL THERE WERE BLANKETEERS, SPAGHETTI-TECHS, AND EGG CARTONERS.

But Meg was the only Boxitect in the bunch! She liked that!

She studied at making sturdier structures and more stylish structures. She was in her glory....

Until another student arrived--Simone--who was also into boxitect-ing. And worse of all, Simone believed she was the best boxitect ever. She fancied herself a critic and started giving Meg handy hints to make her consturctions stronger, straighter, and...

LESS BORING...!

Meg retaliated with little technical tips of her own to "help" Simone maker her products prettier.

Forget creativity. This was COMPETITION!

And to make it worse, it was time for the ANNUAL MAKER MATCH! Both Meg and Simon were determined to be on top... but there was one requirement they didn't expect--they had to work together. They agreed to split their construction into two parts: Meg built a tall treehouse and Simone added a towering smokestack to her ship. Their structure got more tottery and preposterous as each tried to make their design the biggest and tallest. And in due course, of course, there was a huge...

CRASH!

Quickly the two realized that they would be the laughingstock of the Makers' Match unless they became a TEAM!

And in the need to work together, the two learned to make something new, to make friends, in Kim Smith's little parable of partnership, Boxitects (Clarion Books, 2020). Youngsters will love author-illustrator Smith's inventive illustrations of the two rivals' contraptions, and love her story of friendship found in mutual interests as well. Writes Kirkus, "Personality and a developmental message successfully combine for STEAM fun."

It's Not the End of the World, Or, Remain Calm and Carry On! OOPSIE-DO! by Tim Kubart

Talk about having a bad day!

All is cheery as Dad, with baby in sling and preschooler in tow, sets out to deliver them to daycare and preschool. But once she's there, this little girl's day is all downhill. It's her turn to feed the classroom goldfish, but she spills the fish food all over the floor. No way she can put that flaky stuff back in the can. What to do?

JUST SAY "OOPSIE-DO!"

The kids pitch in! With a broom, a dustpan, and a handy trash can, it's spit-spot and soon forgot.

But Murphy's law is in effect still. If something can go wrong, it will.

At art time, just as she completes her yellow submarine, the blue paint runs and turns it green. OOPS!

There's nothing for it but to turn her realistic picture into an expressionist statement of the essence of the sea.

Chasing a ball, she takes a fall. At snack time, she pulls out her treat and it falls at her feet! What does she do?

SAY "OOPSIE DO!"

When it's time to go, she mis-be-buttons her coat, but that's easily fixed. But when she lets the puppy with muddy feet squeeze in through the front door, she can't take back the tracks. But her smile doesn't stop as she reaches for the mop.

But the day's not over yet! The baby flings spaghetti and it lands on her Teddy. The toothpaste misses the toothbrush, but lands squarely on her PJs. But, hey, that's okay; it's a flub-the-dub day, and at last it's over--

OOPSIES CAN HAPPEN AND GET IN YOUR WAY.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY SHOULD RUIN YOUR DAY!

As the English say, "Remain calm and carry on," and our girl does, to the recurring refrain of "Ooopsie-Do," in songwriter Tim Kubart's new picture book for those who make big boo-boos, Oopsie-do! (Harper, 2018). With the downloadable song with this book, preschool kids can learn to to meet life's little screw-ups with a smile and a sing-along moment. Artist Lori Richmond's illustrations are perky and cute and have plenty of appeal to kids who should know that their turn to mess up is bound to show up sooner or later.

School Rules: We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Penelope Rex was nervous.

It's not every day a little T. Rex starts to school.

She's got all the necessary school gear. Mom's got her a new backpack and a cool Little Pony lunchbox, packed with 300 tuna sandwiches and a box of apple juice, and she's pretty in pink in her new overalls. But still Penelope worries.

"What are my classmates going to be like? How many teeth will they have?"

But it's Penny's classmates who should be worried. They are all children, and Penelope already knows one thing about children. They are tasty.

So she ate them!

Oops. Her teacher, Mrs. Noodleman, catches her in the act, one Kindergarten-sized shoe still dangling by its shoestring from her mouth.

"Spit them out," she orders firmly.

"We don't eat our classmates!"

A soggy group of kids, dripping disgusting pink-ish dino drool, re-appear, looking piteously at Mrs. Noodleman. Their parents apparently didn't warn them about being eaten for morning snack time.

Penelope pitches in to be a good sport at recess, but the sight of her, mouth wide open, at the bottom of the twisty slide, doesn't inspire confidence in her classmates. She finds that no one accepts her invitation to sit next to her at lunch. So far, making friends isn't on her menu.

After school Penelope reports sadly that no one at school would play with her.

"Sometimes it's hard to make friends, especially if you eat them," Dad points out.

That night Penny snuggles under her beloved pony coverlet (Ponies are tasty!) and thinks about her dad's advice.

But new Kindergartners often find it difficult to curb their impulses, and the new day doesn't start well.

"Mrs. Noodleman! Penelope ate William Omoto again!" someone tattles.

Understandably, the kids keep their distance from Penelope Rex. Lonely, she wanders over to where the class pet, Walter the Goldfish, is swimming happily in his bowl. Maybe at least Walter will be her friend. Penelope sticks one finger into the water.

Walter CHOMPS!

"WAAAHHH!" cries Penelope. "He's EATING my finger!"

Suddenly Penelope discovers the true meaning of the golden rule, in Ryan T. Higgins' latest giggle fest, We Don't Eat Our Classmates (Disney Hyperion Books, 2018). Higgins' best-selling picture books are small masterpieces of dramatic pacing and ironically hilarious illustrative style, and Penelope is a totally cute little T. Rex, a somehow sympathetic character despite that one bad predilection, and kids' tickleboxes will turn over as Walter the Goldfish pointedly delivers the denouement. School rules were never more fun.

Ryan T. Higgins is also the author of the top-selling hits, Mother Bruce, Hotel Bruce (Mother Bruce), and Bruce's Big Move (Mother Bruce) (see reviews here).

Follow Your Passion! Cece Loves Science by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes

CECE LOVED TO ASK QUESTIONS.

HER MOTHER SAID HER FIRST WORD WAS "WHY?"

And immediately Cece had follow-up questions:

"HOW?"

"WHAT IF?"

And a scientist is born.

She asked her teacher what would happen if everyone jumped up and down together.

"WOULD THE EARTH MOVE?"

"LET'S INVESTIGATE!" SAID MS. CURIE.

Cece's teacher tells her class about the scientific method used to investigate phenomena. What questions do we ask, in what order, and how do we interpret what we observe? she asks. Along the way students also learn about famous scientists and the branches of science in which they work.

The class chooses an investigation: Do dogs eat vegetables? Do some of them love fruits? What food do they like best? How about cats? If you mix vegetables with their cat chow, what will they do?

Cece reports that her dog Einstein loves banana smoothies but her cat eats the kitty kibble and leaves the vegetables and fruit at the bottom of the bowl. Hmmm! The data are not so conclusive. Ms. Curie points out that some of their results may require them to think outside the (cat chow) box.

Kimberly Derting and Shelli Johannes' just published Cece Loves Science (Greenwillow, 2018) points out how curious kids can find answers--and also new questions--in science. And that's the fun of it, as Cece pours heart and soul into the next question, as scientists do. Cece is a likable leader, illustrated with some charm by Vashti Harrison with a bright palette and with digitally drawn kids looking for the illusive answers in science. Author Derting offers an appendix of Cece's Science Facts, a glossary with biographic entries to familiarize primary students with some famous scientists. "A fun way to introduce scientific methods," says Booklist.

Back to School: Back to Dog-Gone School by Amy Schmidt

FIRST DAY JITTERS

I am ready for school.
It's my first day.

I see the bus

Heading my way!

Even an adorable golden Lab pup has holidays, and when it's time for back-to-school days..., well, things can get a little scary and hairy.

Well, who wouldn't have the jitters? Will he miss the bus? Will the driver fuss?

If not, will he get a seat? Will his teacher be sweet? Who's he going to meet?

And even if old friends Simon and Ralphie are in his class, will math be too hard for him to pass?

Will he remember the alphabet? Who will be the teacher's pet?

Will the water fountain be too tall? Will he find the Boys' Room down the hall?

This little Lab has a lot to think about on his first day of school, in Amy and Ron Schmidt's easy reader, Back to Dog-Gone School (Step into Reading) (Random House, 2016), which offers a vicarious run-through of the first day of school for kids with the opening-day willies. Poet Amy Schmidt provides the pup-themed verses, and Ron Schmidt provides the cute canine photos (the boys' bathroom door has a fireplug icon to make it easily recognizable) in this rehearsal of that epic day, including math class, lunchroom sharing, know-it-all golden girls, and the best part of the day. D.E.A.R. --Drop Everything And Read!

Random House, the pioneer of the I-Can-Read genre, offers a bit of school orientation for nervous new scholars in this title in their Step-into-Reading series, Level Two, which offers controlled vocabulary, visual cues, and rhymes to ease the way for practice for newly independent readers.

How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm? Dojo Daytrip by Chris Tougas

WITH MASTER LEADING, ARM IN ARM,

NINJAS LEAVE THE BUS TO TOUR THE FARM.

The six little black-hooded ninjas are up for a fun field trip to the farm.  Master is into the spirit of the day, too--all decked out in his straw hat and cowboy boots and ready to show off his agricultural acumen for his little students.

But best laid plans of mice and master go astray!

YIKES! YEE-0W!

With the ninjas perched on the pigpen fence, Master strides manfully with a bucket of swill toward the sow, slips on a banana peel, and lands, slop and all, in the trough.

The little students find it amazing and work off their excitement by letting the chicks loose and breaking a few boards in the fence with karate kicks! Then, leaving Master to struggle out of the slop, they scamper off to climb ropes and hide among the hay bales in the barn.

Master tries to carry on with his lesson in milking the cow. But the bull seems to be a bit possessive about Daisy!

YIKES! YEE-0W!
MASTER FLEES THE RED BARN, RACING
FROM A BULL THAT'S CHARGING, CHASING
NINJAS CHASE EACH OTHER, TOO,
MAKING HORNS AND YELLING, MOO!

Master goes up a tree, at bay, until at last the bull goes away. Courageously, he climbs down and presses on with his lesson plan--hitching the horse up to pull the plow!

But the plowhorse spooks and drags Master, still hanging onto the plow, through the sod. The little ninjas are enthralled with the excitement of the moment. But, wait.

What would a good ninja do?

THE NINJAS ALL FORGOT THEIR CREED: ALWAYS HELP SOME ONE IN NEED!

The six ninja kids go into action. They jump onto the runaway horse and make him whoa. They rescue Master and help him recover. And then they leap into action, repairing the fences, refilling the trough, milking the cow, and giving the plot a good plowing. They even repaint the barn. The barnyard is restored to perfect order.

THE LITTLE NINJAS GIVE A BOW.

MASTER BOWS AND WHISPERS... WOW!

All's well as Master and students board their van and head back to the daycare center. But... what's that critter with the big horns doing in the back of the dojo bus?

It's Yikes! Yee-Ow! all over again as the dojo bus bounces back down the road, in Chris Tougas' Dojo Daytrip (Owlkids Books, 2015). Field trip stories usually involve some sort of hi-jinks among the day trippers, and it seems little ninjas are no different. Tougas' digitally generated cartoon ninjas go right along with the slapstick script, with liberated chicks everywhere, pratfalls in the pigpen, and considerable hazard to the seat of Master's pants in the plot. But this tale is saved from total silliness by the repetition of the dojo creed: Always help someone in need, and kids will soon take up the refrain... Yikes! Yee-Ow!

Pair this one with its predecessor, Dojo Daycare or N. D. Wilson's Ninja Boy Goes to School (review here).

Back to School: Chu's First Day of School by Neil Gaiman

CHU WAS WORRIED.

HE HAD NEVER BEEN TO SCHOOL BEFORE.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

All first-timers are at least a little leery of leaving the home setting and moving into the world of SCHOOL! Chu voices his fears to his parents, who blithely assure him that his teachers and classmates are sure to like him.

But Chu is worried. You see...

THERE IS THIS THING THAT CHU COULD DO.

Youngsters fortunate enough to have read Neil Gaiman's first Chu story will know why Chu is worried. Those who haven't will get a clue from the book's title page and frontispiece. Chu is first shown sitting amid a field of daisies, looking warily across the street at the waiting Big School. A page turn shows the tall grass flattened where he was sitting and bits of daisies and grass floating down through the air as Chu hustles off, page right.

At school the teacher and students do seem nice. Teacher kicks the day off with a getting-to-know you exercise in which students are to introduce themselves and tell the others something special they can do.

Jengo the Giraffe says that she likes to get things down from high shelves. Pancho the Capuchin says he likes to climb trees if they aren't too tall, and Robin says she likes to sing.

When it is his turn, Chu takes a pass.

The others all take their turns, happy to tell about the cool things they do, as Teacher chalks their names carefully on the blackboard. At last everyone looks at Chu.

And as the  chalk dust tickles his nose,  they find out the special thing Chu could do:

"AHH... AAAAH... AAAAAH....

"AAAAAAHH-CHOOOOOOOOO!"

Papers fly from Teacher's desk, books fly, too, as bookcases, desks, and stools overturn. Everyone is dazed, surprised, and overwhelmed. Teacher picks herself up, but everyone else lies there, speechless.

"THAT'S WHAT I DO," SAID CHU.

Neil Gaiman's latest Chu story, Chu's First Day of School (HarperCollins, 2014), shows his sneezy protagonist as he blows the first-day blues away. Chu's impromptu ah-choo is certainly an icebreaker for his class, and by the time he gets home, he announces that he's not worried anymore.

Notable artist Adam Rex does the illustrative honors, with the most engaging little panda ever front and center, mixing full-bleed colored pages with bright white backgrounds where his adorable little Chu is highlighted in all his innocent charm. Of all the first-day-of-school stories out there, this one is truly unique.

Newbery author Gaiman's first Chu book is Chu's Day, and you can read my 2013 review here.

Thankful: Thanksgiving Day Thanks by Laura M. Elliott and Lynn Munsinger

"THANKSGIVING IS COMING," SAID SAM'S TEACHER MRS. WRIGHT.

"WHAT ONE SPECIAL THING ABOUT THE HOLIDAY WOULD YOU GIVE THANKS FOR?"

As the extroverts in the classroom start blurting out their favorites--football, sweet potatoes with marshmallows,shopping the sales--Mrs. Wright offers a group assignment as well.

"HOW SHOULD WE CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING IN OUR CLASS?"

Jeffrey advocates a special classroom Pilgrim feast. Tiffany is excited about wearing costumes. But Winston has what seems at first like an odd idea--his grandmother's yarn Thanksgiving turkey!

"EEEWWWW! YOU EAT YARN TURKEY?" shouts one class comic.

"NO. ITS A DECORATION. WE WRITE WHAT WE'RE THANKFUL FOR ON A PAPER FEATHER AND STICK IT IN THE TURKEY," Winston explained calmly.

Mrs. Wright loves Winston's idea and Winston promises to bring the yarn turkey for their celebration, and the rest of the kids soon get busy on their own projects. Nicole irons bright autumn leaves inside waxed paper for placemats, Winston makes a miniature Mayflower from popsicle sticks, and Mary Ann makes a Indian beaded headband and practices with her toy bow and arrow.

But Sam is a a kid who takes a long time to make up his mind about things. While everyone else is bubbling with ideas for the celebration, he is stumped. What is he most thankful for? What special thing about Thanksgiving is his favorite? Time is running out. But at last Sam has one idea he thinks his classmates will like a lot.

On the day of their celebration, Sam arrives at school with his project, four helium balloons--a dog, cat, frog, and a turkey-- to reproduce the Thanksgiving Day Parade on television. He ties them to a tree outside the classroom so that they will be a big surprise for his class. When it's time, he slips out to get his project and the kids are excited as the colorful balloons pass by their window, but before Sam can get them through the door, a powerful autumn wind pulls the strings out of his hand and they float away. Oh, no!

But acting quickly, his best friend Mary Ann rushes out with her bow and sends a suction cup arrow on a string up to stick on the dog balloon and pull it down. Sam is grateful, but he is despondent that his project is reduced to a one-dog parade, until Mrs. Wright asks him why the Thanksgiving morning parade is so special for him.

"MY WHOLE FAMILY WATCHES IT TOGETHER. GRANDPOP TELLS ABOUT GOING TO NEW YORK CITY FOR THE PARADE WHEN HE WAS LITTLE.

WE LAUGH A LOT."

And suddenly, Sam knows what he going to write on his two feathers--that he is thankful for his family and for friends like Mary Ann in Laura Malone Elliott's second Sam story, Thanksgiving Day Thanks (Katherine Tegen Books, 2013). As in the first book, A String of Hearts, hesitatin' Sam learns a little more about what is in his own heart, and his class and young readers learn a lot about the history and customs of our historical holiday along the way. Author Elliott appends two sections, "A Note about Thanksgiving," and "Other Thanksgiving Facts" which cover the history of our Thanksgiving observance from the very beginning right down to the traditional opening day of Christmas shopping customs.

Veteran artist Lynn Munsinger, famous for her charming young animal cartoon characters in classics such as the Tacky the Penguin books and the Hooway for Wodney Wat stories, vividly portrays the varied personalities in Sam's classroom and the qualities each brings to the mix in a way that young readers will recognize. As Booklist's reviewer says, "Bolstered by warm watercolor cartoon illustrations, this book is a perfect delivery system for a wealth of knowledge about Thanksgiving, with the story suggesting that family and friends are the main things to be thankful for."

For pre-Thanksgiving readaloud sessions, this one pairs well with Marc Brown's similarly themed classic Arthur's Thanksgiving (Arthur Adventure Series).

School Days: Fancy Nancy: Fancy Day in Room 1-A by Jane O'Connor

I AM PEERING OUT THE WINDOW OF MY CLASSROOM. (PEERING IS A FANCY WORD FOR LOOKING.)

IT HAS RAINED ALL WEEK. WE CAN'T PLAY OUTSIDE.

MS. GLASS IS READING A STORY.

EVERYBODY IS LOOKING GLUM AND GLOOMY.(THAT'S A FANCY WAY TO SAY WE ARE IN A BAD MOOD.)

The gray weather is getting Room 1-A down. Even Ms. Glass has lost her sparkle--but not her master teacher chops!

"CLASS, WE NEED SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO," SAYS MS. GLASS.

"DOES ANYBODY HAVE NEW IDEAS?"

And of course Nancy Clancy has an idea--a Fancy Day in Room 1-A. Everyone loves to dress up in imaginative and outlandish getups, and soon everyone in the class is excited. The big Fancy Day is scheduled for the following Monday, and the kids in Room 1-A are energized and motivated, throwing themselves into the goal of getting their necessary lessons done to make time for a fancy party day.

Nancy, of course, is in her glory. Her ingenious mind buzzes with costume accessories--boas and beads and lots of frou-frou--and caterer-in-chief Nancy leads the group in designing special place mats and napkin rings from pipe cleaners for the fancy refreshments everyone is bringing. Even Lionel is intrigued with making a his crown, topped with bloody shark's teeth. Ms. Glaser parries questions about her own fancy get-up with a gentle, but secretive, "wait and see" smile.

Finally, Monday rolls around. Everyone is dressed to the nines in layers of fanciness and at school early, eager to start their big day. But where is Ms. Glaser?

And when their teacher arrives, late and flustered, she's the only one who isn't fancy. She apologizes to the class, explaining that she had an emergency and left home at dawn to see the dentist, leaving her costume behind. She's even plainer than usual, and she is obviously feeling bad about her lack of fanciness.

But Nancy & Company come through. Nancy quickly suggests a solution, and soon Ms. Glass is fully fancied-up, with a costume contribution from everyone.

"MERCI!"

It takes more than rainy days and Mondays to get this girl down, and there are no more rainy day blues in Room 1-A in Jane O'Connor's latest Fancy Nancy adventure, Fancy Nancy: Fancy Day in Room 1-A (I Can Read Book 1) (Harper, 2012).

Back to School: Dotty by Erica S. Perl

WHEN IDA STARTED SCHOOL SHE TOOK HER NEW LUNCH BOX... AND DOTTY.

AT MORNING MEETING MS. RAYMOND COUNTED NOSES, "TEN, ELEVEN, TWELVE." IDA FROWNED.

IDA PATTED DOTTY REASSURINGLY. "THIRTEEN," SHE ADDED SILENTLY.

When school starts in the fall, it seems that most of the students have brought along their invisible friends, each suited to his or her creator. Dotty, a large, polka-dotted and horned imaginary playmate, fits right in with the others--Pete and Repeat, Max, Benny, Spike, and tiny Keekoo, who clings to Katya's long braids.

But when Ida leads Dotty back by her long blue leash after the holidays, she finds that everyone else seems to have suddenly "outgrown" their imaginary friends.

"HEY, IDA!" YELLED KATYA. "LIKE MY NEW HAIRCUT?"

"WHERE'S KEEKOO?" IDA ASKED.

"IDA!" KATYA SCOLDED. "THAT'S FOR BABIES!"

Now Katya teases Ida and calls her unseen friend "Spotty." Hurt, Ida finally can't take the teasing any longer and shoves Katya down. Ms. Raymond sentences the two girls to write each other notes of apology for their squabble.

"DOTTY PUSHED YOU DOWN," IDA WRITES.

"I'M SORRY ABOUT WHAT DOTTY DID, BUT YOU DESERVED IT!"

It is time for a heart-to-heart talk with her teacher, who quietly asks Ida to tell her about Dotty. Although Ida is unable to describe what her friend Dotty means to her, Ms. Raymond silently lets her know that she is not alone in her closeness to her imaginary friend, and Ida takes heart in her teacher's empathetic understanding.

Erica S. Perl's newest, Dotty (Abrams, 2010), takes on the dilemma of the young student who is not quite ready to give up her fantasy friend. Julia Denos' spirited illustrations show Ida watching as, in her imagination, her teacher pulls her own red string leash out of her tote bag and leads Gert, her own special buddy, out of the classroom. It's the old story of "different strokes" which makes the point that all students reach milestones in their own good time, a great reminder for those first days of school when everyone is trying to fit in.