| 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.
Education
Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001.
Tel: (212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919.Email: ednews1@aol.com.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express
consent of the publisher. © 2002.
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