SCARECITED ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Afua’s first-day jitters can’t be conveyed with a single feeling or word.

Feeling “scarecited” (scared and excited), Afua wonders what school will be like. “Will I make a friend?” Afua’s outfit is “flute” (fly and cute), and upon entering the classroom, the young narrator is “shurious” (shy and curious). Afua’s ready to start the day until the teacher, Ms. Lane, mispronounces Afua’s name. “Sadbarrassed” (sad and embarrassed), Afua wonders, “Why is my name so hard?” A classmate named Teal, noticing Afua’s distress, invites the protagonist to eat lunch, and as the two race around on the playground, Teal pronounces Afua’s name correctly. Inspired—and feeling “bravous” (brave and nervous)—Afua approaches Ms. Lane to correct her pronunciation (phonetic text will help young readers also say Afua’s name right). The teacher’s kind words leave Afua feeling “prelieved” (proud and relieved). Bold illustrations and word lettering match the high-energy excitement of the first-day-of-school setting. Agostini captures the all-too-familiar feeling of experiencing more than one emotion at a time, encourages both self-advocacy and creative self-expression, and acknowledges the power of being seen. Afua and Teal present Black; their class is diverse. The book opens with pronunciation guides for the author’s and illustrator’s names.

A simple yet uplifting school story.