Birdie's First Day of School

Birdie expresses all the worries that can accompany the prospect of starting school, and shows how to get through them in this warmhearted picture book.

The heroine always knows what to wear. But the night before school starts, Birdie can't sleep. In the morning, she can't decide what to wear. And Monster, her little white dog, doesn't help. Sujean Rim uses her watercolors, colored pencils and collage to create clothes and accessories combinations to make a Vogue editor envious. But even after choosing "just the right outfit," Birdie's not confident that she's "really ready for school." She reviews the good and bad things she's heard about it and confesses to Mommy that she's scared. Her mother reassures Birdie, fastening a necklace with a heart locket around her daughter's neck and telling Birdie that "No matter where you are, no matter where you go, Monster and I are always right here." Rim's collage artwork depicts a "beautiful" and orderly classroom where "everything had its place--even Birdie!" She has a cubbie with her name on it and a kind teacher named Mr. Bobbins. Rim takes readers through Birdie's day, and helps preview what youngsters can expect (including a "delicious" lunch). Afterward, Birdie tells Mommy and Monster all about her day.

Rim portrays a close-knit mother-daughter relationship that also allows room for Birdie to strike out on her own. The heroine evinces a healthy independence while also reassuring novice students that it's okay to miss their parents and that they'll still be there when school is over. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness

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