| First day of school -- Juvenile fiction. |
| Brothers and sisters -- Juvenile fiction. |
| Schools -- Juvenile fiction. |
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Library | Collection | Material Type | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Cobourg Branch | Searching... Unknown | Junior Picture Book | JP Gri | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
His sister's first day of school is Tom's last day of true independence.
On her first day of kindergarten, Alice isn't really that nervous at all. It's her brother, Tom, who is upset -- in fact, he's downright mad! It's his school, and why should he have to share it with his annoying little sister?
For any family dealing with first day nerves, this bright and reassuring picture book will help ease the transition into school -- both for new students and their older siblings.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Older children have much to get used to whenever a younger sibling enters the mix, and these lessons are often ongoing. Alice is entering kindergarten and is nervous, while big brother Tom is unhappy about the fact that he now has to share "his school" with her. When asked by his parents to keep an eye on her, he grimaces, growls, and tries his best to ignore her. At the same time that Alice is acclimating to her new situation, Tom is seen trying to find his sister's yellow curls in a line of children or looking for her on the playground while he is supposedly playing with his friends. When he hears a cry and realizes that another child has taken her beloved teddy bear away, Tom swoops in to save it and comfort her with a kiss. The large illustrations evoke thoughts of Helen Oxenbury or Jan Ormerod's work, and are depicted in soft pastel hues, capturing the siblings' facial expressions and the varying degrees of emotion that they experience throughout the day. This is a new take on first-day-of-school stories, and a realistic choice to help children share their lives with a younger sibling.-Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
A disgruntled older brother is far from the model of compassion and supportiveness at the outset of this back-to-school tale by a British team. Sibling rivalry rears its head as Alice prepares to start kindergarten and step onto what has formerly been Tom's turf-school. "In his bedroom, Tom kicked his school shoes lying on the floor and threw himself on the bed. Why did his sister always have to spoil everything?" It's actually Tom's spoiled behavior that dominates most of the story. For instance, when Alice stands ready to depart, clutching her stuffed bear for comfort, Tom says, "You can't take that stupid thing"; when his dad asks him to watch out for Alice on her "big day," the boy responds, "It's a horrible day for me." But when Alice wails for him on the playground, Tom runs to the rescue. While older siblings might not behave in such an overtly negative fashion, they'll likely identify with Tom's threatened feelings. Parents will be grateful for his about-face by book's end. Monochromatic back drops with minimal detail allow for focus on the characters' feelings. While probably not the book to read to an incoming kindergartner, kudos to Grindley (Shhh!) and Chamberlain (The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate) for giving authentic voice to the undercurrent of emotion between siblings. Ages 5-8. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
It's Alice's first day of school, and, to her older brother Tom's chagrin, he is entrusted to look after her. The writing lacks subtlety (""Tom growled and threw himself into the car, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth""), as do the illustrations--characters either smile inanely or frown cartoonishly--although the unusual color combinations are winning. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Alice eagerly awaits the start of kindergarten, while older brother Tom is not so eager to have her attend the same school, more concerned about how she will embarrass him. Urged by Dad to be nice and watch out for his little sister, Tom is at first angry, then resentful, but dutifully comes to her aid at recess when she tearfully loses her Teddy to another child. He even plants "a great big kiss, right on her cheek" before returning to his friends. Expressive features highlighting both Tom's negativity and Alice's enthusiasm extend the message in animated mixed-media, brightly colored paintings that portray a typical day at school filled with multicultural schoolmates. An honest portrayal of first-day concerns from an older child's perspective, some rivalry and true sibling love. Including Dad as the parental focus is another realistic touch. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. Many stories, such as Emily Arnold McCully's School (1987), depict a young child's longing to join older brothers and sisters in the classroom. Instead, this title presents an older sibling's viewpoint. When Tom's kindergartner sister, Alice, prepares to join him at school for the first time, he rages and scowls, particularly when he's asked to keep an eye on her during the day. When Alice decides to take her teddy bear to class, Tom says, Everyone will laugh at you. Then a boy snatches the bear at recess, and it's Tom who steps in to mediate and comfort. The words are simple but vivid; Tom speaks in snarls, growls, and hisses, and the short lines are filled with descriptive action. Although Tom's loving turnaround is abrupt, kids, wherever they fall in the family lineup, will recognize the rivalry, loyalty, and quicksilver mood swings, all memorably magnified in Chamberlain's loose-lined pictures that showcase the expressive characters with bright hues against muted backgrounds. A welcome riff on the first-day-of-school theme. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2006 Booklist