School Days - Softcover

B.G. Hennessy grew up in Wantagh on Long Island, NY. At the University of Wisconsin in Madison, she majored in fine art and learned how to design, print and bind handmade books. She also took courses in Children’s Literature. The combination of form and content in the picture book format fascinated her and after graduation she headed for NYC where she worked for 17 years in children’s book publishing as a designer and art director. She is the author of Road Builders and The First Night, as well as many books starring Corduroy, the loveable toy bear created by Don Freeman. She now lives with her family in Arizona.

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- In this book with lighthearted, rhyming couplets and cheery watercolors, readers glide through a typical day in a primary-grade classroom. The sparse text rhythmically identifies aspects of the day: "School bus, cubby, starting bell/ Circle time, then show and tell." Routines such as art class, lunch, recess, story time, fire drill, and packing up at day's end occupy this rambunctious collection of children who reflect a mix of ethnic groups. A runaway class pet, a rabbit, romps from page to page as an ongoing visual joke. The illustrations use a fairly loose cartoon style and convey an infectious sense of movement. The text is reproduced to imitate children's block-style writing along a ruled guide that will be familiar to beginning printers; the page design effectively integrates text and pictures. One slightly jarring note: the children look older than their routines and behavior suggest. Nevertheless, it's a positive, reassuring treatment of something every child knows that will be enjoyed in a group or as independent reading. --Denise Anton Wright, Library Book Selection Service, Inc., Bloomington, IL
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.