BULLDOZER GOES TO SCHOOL

School has started, and with it comes an avalanche of anxiety for Bulldozer.

Despite reassurances from Mom and Dad (who are human like everyone else in the cast, except for the titular character), Bulldozer has a stomachache. But he spots a familiar face—his next-door neighbor Millie Patel. The other kids giggle when he knocks over a bookcase while putting away his lunchbox; at circle time, he can’t sit “crisscross applesauce” like everyone else; and, when urged by Millie to show off one of his “tricks” (backing up while beeping), he accidentally breaks a table. At recess, Bulldozer’s mood improves as he, Millie, and new friend Ryan—joined by others—build a clubhouse. Back in the classroom, he resumes worrying, but he’s buoyed by feelings of acceptance and an opportunity to help clean up. In the first book in the series, Bulldozer’s hesitations were related to his shyness; here, his physical difficulties loom larger. Never obvious or overdone, with expertly matched orange-tinged artwork, this early reader series engages again. Bulldozer’s refreshingly honest assessments (“School is…not great, but it’s okay,” he decides), his often-warring desires to be true to his own needs and to fit in, and his small but deeply satisfying triumphs make him an authentic hero for anyone who’s ever felt a bit insecure. Mom and Dad are light-skinned, Millie is cued South Asian, and the class is diverse.

Sensitive, relatable, and sweet.