Children’s Book Reviews
By Selene Vasquez

Dreading going back to school? Take comfort in books about...school!

PICTURE BOOKS: AGES 5 THRU 7
Who Will Go To School Today? by J. Alison James. Illustrated by Miriam Monnier. (North-South, 32 pp., $15.95). Sam dreads going to school and grooms his stuffed monkey Timbo to be his replacement. He diligently prepares his toy for all that school has to offer: circle time, singalongs, playing outside, eating snacks, etc., until Sam reconsiders all the fun he’ll be missing. Dreamy illustrations convey the comfort of familiar environments and the excitement of new surroundings.

Our Class Took A Trip To The Zoo by Shirley Neitzel. Illustrated by Nancy Winslow. (Greenwillow, 32 pp., $15.95). A boy visits the zoo and suddenly one mishap after another befalls him. “A button popped off by the lion’s den,/ I tore my pants on the ostriches’ pen...” Charming watercolor and ink illustrations complement the jolly repetitive verses of a most unusual field trip.

NONFICTION: AGES 5 THRU 8
Back to School by Maya Ajmera and John Ivanko. (Candlewick Press, 32pp., $15.95). Bright colorful photographs document the day-to-day life of schoolchildren all around the globe. With minimal text and two photos per page, this great back-to-school title for teachers explores the different types of classrooms, learning activities, and even uniforms from a worldwide perspective.

POETRY: AGES 5 THRU 8
The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill. Illustrated by Laura Beith. (Scholastic, 32 pp., $15.95). A lighthearted look at the ever pervasive “school bully” in classrooms and playgrounds everywhere. The rollicking rhythm of the language with fun-to-say phrases will definitely engage readers and sensitize them to the underlying drama of the situation. Artwork is equally smart and energetic.

Selene S. Vasquez is a media specialist at Orange Brook Elementary School in Hollywood, Florida. She is formerly a children’s librarian for the New York Public Library.

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