SCHOOL'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Today is the first day of school for me, and for many other educators and students all over the country. So I thought this would be the perfect day to write about this picture book! 

Rex, Adam. School's First Day of School. Illus. by Christian Robinson. New York: Roaring Brook, 2016. Print. 

You'll know author Adam Rex from FRANKENSTEIN TAKES THE CAKE and COLD CEREAL. 

If you read LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET or LEO: A GHOST STORY, you will recognize the artwork of Caldecott Honor Winner Christian Robinson.

I have read this book several times, and I am not done rereading it. In taking a look at it for this post, I appreciated it even more. 

Its charm starts with the cover. This is a little town I'd like to visit. Everyone gathers around the school, the bus is approaching, and families are excited. 

When you open to the title page, see how the story starts with the construction of the school. (But don't go too fast past those endpapers! Enjoy them!) We see only the shell, but it's taking shape. As author Adam Rex writes, it is being built "Brick upon brick". 

Upon its completion, readers see the front of the building, almost as if we are walking up to it on that first day ourselves. 

We get closer to the entry, and in this spot, readers hear the voice of the school for the first time. In this picture book, the school is the main character. Those of us who work in a school understand this. Our buildings have personality and feel like they are indeed full of life. 

We meet the Janitor, who dutifully wipes the windows and converses with the school. The school and the Janitor have a connection. The school is a child needing reassurance, and the Janitor, who spends so much time in the building, provides it.

We see the gym, wide and expansive. And a stage! 

And then the children arrive, on bikes, skateboards, in a bus, and by foot. Stare at this double page spread for awhile. There is so much to notice. 

We see children at playtime on the jungle gym. Here the children reveal the purpose of the equipment to the School. And isn't this so true about our own schools? The building comes to life with children as they use the space. 

Eventually there is discord on the playground, hurting School's feelings. And a reluctant student also causes School to be discouraged. But as the day progresses, there is remorse, joy, and laughter (see spilled milk in cafeteria). And a natural progression of a day. 

School learns shapes, and enjoys art class. And when the day is done, School debriefs with Janitor, telling him all about his day -- just like a child would, running home to tell Mom or Dad about everything. School reveals its hope and expectancy at the end. And a gratitude to be School. 

Reading this book made me more thoughtful about my own school. It comes to life with children. And has a personality to it. That's undeniable. 

I'll share this book with readers in my library during the first week of classes, and I wonder what connections they will make. I know they will be profound. 

This title will be added to the "Back-to-School" sections of libraries and bookstores, and to many, many lists heretofore -- but though it will be part of a group, SCHOOL'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL  stands out. 

There's more to this one. 

That's why I will probably reread it again tonight, after a great first day of school. 

Happy first day everyone! 

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

 

De la Peña, Matt. Last Stop on Market Street. Illus. by Christian Robinson. New York: Penguin, 2015. Print.

The rain is coming down, and Nana and CJ are on foot. As CJ complains about getting wet, and not having a car like his friend, Nana responds with positivity, and takes him on the No. 5 Bus for a special trip. Nana greets fellow bus passengers warmly (including a blind man tuning a guitar, a woman with a jar of butterflies, and two teens listening to music), and in her interactions, models kindness and empathy. As the blind man plays a tune, CJ is moved by the music, and his mind swirls with visions of butterflies, hawks and freedom. Their trip ends with a walk down a run-down neighborhood, and the final destination is revealed: a soup kitchen where Nana and CJ serve meals together. As CJ takes this journey with Nana, he sees that with the right outlook, beauty can be found in any place.

I first read this book in January, 2015. Of course, it won the Newbery Medal for 2016, and when the award was announced in Boston at ALA MidWinter, I was fortunate enough to be there to hear it. As I sat in my seat beforehand, chatting with fellow librarians, someone from the press asked the whole row if we had any predictions. I remember my reply was "Last Stop on Market Street: Caldecott". Of course I was partially right about this, as it did win a Caldecott Honor Medal as well as a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Award.

It is now February, and our Scholastic Book Fair Week is upon us. One of the featured books is indeed Last Stop on Market Street. As I visited some classes to talk about the book fair, I brought this book along with me, and read it aloud. I could tell that our readers were enjoying the story, but I also re-discovered several gems about this book which I shall share:

• First, the stained-glass windows on the church (opening of the book) are lovely. The alternating triangles remind me of work by illustrator Molly Bang. 

• Two people in the street outside the church are holding umbrellas -- a signal of what is to come.  Nana has brought her umbrella as well, showing us that no matter the weather, she will go to the soup kitchen to help. 

• See the location of the gutter on the double-page spread where Nana and CJ first encounter rain. The trunk really does resemble a straw, just as Nana says. 

• Mr. Dennis, the bus driver, gives CJ a coin by pulling it out of his ear. (The coin is mentioned later in the book.) There are people around us who enjoy their work, and do little acts of kindness like this every day. This is part of the beauty that Nana wants us to notice. 

• The woman with the butterflies in the jar intrigues me. Where does one go with butterflies in a jar? (This character has found beauty for herself.) This line always causes wonder when I read it aloud to classes. 

• Nana's hand offers comfort/empathy/agreement to those around her: the blind man on the bus, and to CJ when they get off the bus. 

• The double-page spread where CJ closes his eyes to listen to the music is a stopping point. You do pause here because you know CJ is changing in some way. The music, Nana's words, and the passengers on the bus have all had an effect on CJ. And from then on, when he asks a question, he is asking for a different reason -- not because he is complaining any more, but because he is truly wondering. 

I still think about CJ's story, even though it has been on my shelves for over a year, and I have read it several times. I find it comforting to know that no matter how many times I  turn to this book, I find something that will make me wonder or pause (just like CJ), proving once again that picture books are meant to be enjoyed repeatedly. One quick read of a picture book is never sufficient to appreciate its full meaning.