June 1, 2011
Just right for new kindergartners and preschoolers who cannot yet read words, this is one school story that they will be able to help in reading.
The draw of Sierra's latest is the rhyming verse that is interspersed with rebus pictures, allowing children to chime in and participate in the telling. It is the first day of school for Frog, Duck, Mouse and Snail. The first-day activities include writing their names, building with blocks, counting and playing alphabet games. They also sing with their teacher, Mr. Burkey, attend art class with Mrs. Rabbit and, of course, eat lunch: "The polka-dot snail / Brought her lunch in a [pail]. / The duck had some soup in a [cup]. / The frog caught a [fly], / And the mouse shared her [pie] / With their teacher, who gobbled it [up]." By the end of the day, they are all fast friends who love school. Davick's brightly colored digital illustrations show all the quintessential elements of school—from the playground and bus outside to the decorations and supplies inside. Throughout, kindness, sharing and being helpful are modeled by the anthropomorphized cartoon animals in both the artwork and the nursery-rhyme cadences.
A comforting and empowering build-up to the big day—kindergarten (or preschool), here we come! (Picture book. 3-6)(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)
June 1, 2011
PreS-K-This is a simple but thoroughly charming little gem of a book. While the story line covers no new ground-four animals enjoy typical school activities-the presentation raises it to the next level. For one thing, Sierra has told the tale in effortless rhyme. For another, the rebus format makes it a perfect lap-sit choice with a parent or caregiver reading the words and a child "reading" the easily decipherable pictures. The illustrations have a flat quality and appear to be digitally done, but they are bright and cheerful and should have considerable appeal for the new-to-school set. Not an essential purchase, but an appealing addition to any collection.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
June 1, 2011
Preschool-G Using rhyming text filled with rebus pictures, Sierra presents a group of animals attending their first day of school. Frog, Duck, Mouse, and Snail are met by teacher Tom Burkey, / A very nice turkey, who introduces them to the ABCs and blocks; later, they enjoy art (taught by Mrs. Bunny), lunch, counting, and music before departing for the day. The text is reminiscent of the meter and style of Joseph Slate's Miss Bindergarten series: The polka-dot snail / Brought her lunch in a pail. / The duck had some soup in a cup. / Davick's vibrant artwork features strong geometric shapes painted in candy-colored hues. The overall effect is one of lightness, well suited to the upbeat text. The rebus pictures should be obvious to young listeners, who will be able to help read the story; only one (a rabbit? bunny?) is unclear, but its placement in the middle of the line makes either answer appropriate. Rebus fans will also like those of Shirley Neitzel (Our Class Took a Trip to the Zoo, 2002).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2011
It's the first day of school, and a frog, duck, mouse, and snail describe their activities: writing their names, playing with blocks, doing art projects, eating lunch, and so on. The school-is-fun message is warmly conveyed through rhyming text, and kids will enjoy decoding the simple rebus pictures. Cheery illustrations show the animal characters enjoying classroom time.
(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
June 1, 2011
Just right for new kindergartners and preschoolers who cannot yet read words, this is one school story that they will be able to help in reading.
The draw of Sierra's latest is the rhyming verse that is interspersed with rebus pictures, allowing children to chime in and participate in the telling. It is the first day of school for Frog, Duck, Mouse and Snail. The first-day activities include writing their names, building with blocks, counting and playing alphabet games. They also sing with their teacher, Mr. Burkey, attend art class with Mrs. Rabbit and, of course, eat lunch: "The polka-dot snail / Brought her lunch in a [pail]. / The duck had some soup in a [cup]. / The frog caught a [fly], / And the mouse shared her [pie] / With their teacher, who gobbled it [up]." By the end of the day, they are all fast friends who love school. Davick's brightly colored digital illustrations show all the quintessential elements of school--from the playground and bus outside to the decorations and supplies inside. Throughout, kindness, sharing and being helpful are modeled by the anthropomorphized cartoon animals in both the artwork and the nursery-rhyme cadences.
A comforting and empowering build-up to the big day--kindergarten (or preschool), here we come! (Picture book. 3-6)(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)