At every desk,
A chair with tennis-ball feet,
A place for you.
Library
The library door
Opens: Hear the whoosh and thrum
Of the school's heart beat."
Many schools have already opened for students and teachers; others will be opening in coming days. September 2020 promises to be a brand-new experience for even the most seasoned of those returning to classrooms.
James Preller has created a collection of haiku that looks closely at the joys and chaos of the first day back. Exciting for many, full of trepidation for others, the scenes he has created in 17 syllables will be familiar to children who share this book.
Mary GrandPre's artwork for the title page aims to engage readers by presenting a childlike drawing of a little one returning to a warm school welcome, while surrounded by the usual paraphernalia that evokes excitement for its newness as the school year begins. Each turn of the page captures another small moment in the chaos that is every 'first' day back.
Hoisting a heavy backpack, boarding the bus, meeting the new principal, seeing old friends (and new), finding the way from one place to another, gym, recess, reading - each moment is presented in descriptive wording. Using acrylic paint, crayon, and oil pastels, Ms. GrandPre creates warm, empathetic, energetic, and engaging images sure to elicit observation and conversation - and memories from past 'first days'.
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