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THIS IS THE CREW THAT BUILDS OUR SCHOOL

Name: THIS IS THE CREW THAT BUILDS OUR SCHOOL
Author: Sherry Fellores
ISBN: 9781534113190

by Sherry Fellores ; illustrated by Sam Caldwell ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 2025

This winner will build a crew of readers and listeners—and singers—who’ll want to revisit again and again.

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Kids know all about the teachers who make learning possible—but what about those responsible for constructing the school building itself?

Set to the familiar, bouncy tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush,” this perky tale of an energetic, all-animal crew who erect a school from the ground up can be sung by or to an appreciative group of youngsters. Children will be captivated by the sights and sounds of the skilled team carrying out their specialized tasks. They’ll practically hear the heavy clangs of the machinery and equipment; truck mavens will have a field day watching the crew’s vehicles digging and hauling dirt. Most readers may not know exactly what their own school’s construction entailed: laying the foundation and roof, painting the walls, placing power lines and pipes, and even landscaping the playground and garden spaces. They certainly will after poring over this spirited book that captures the essence of teamwork at its finest. Fellores describes the many specific steps with strong, active, rhyming verbs typeset in large capitals: “DIG and SCRAPE, / EXCAVATE!” “CLING and CLANG / THWACK and BANG!” Finally, the grateful students offer the builders a well-deserved thanks for their terrific efforts. Caldwell’s wonderful, dynamic illustrations burst with energy and color.

This winner will build a crew of readers and listeners—and singers—who’ll want to revisit again and again. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 15, 2025

ISBN: 9781534113190

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press

Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK AND RACER RED

From the Little Blue Truck series

by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 25, 2025

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share.

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In this latest in the series, Little Blue Truck, driven by pal Toad, is challenged to a countryside race by Racer Red, a sleek, low-slung vehicle.

Blue agrees, and the race is on. Although the two start off “hood to hood / and wheel to wheel,” they switch positions often as they speed their way over dusty country roads. Blue’s farm friends follow along to share in the excitement and shout out encouragement; adult readers will have fun voicing the various animal sounds. Short rhyming verses on each page and several strategic page turns add drama to the narrative, but soft, mottled effects in the otherwise colorful illustrations keep the competition from becoming too intense. Racer Red crosses the finish line first, but Blue is a gracious loser, happy to have worked hard. That’s a new concept for Racer Red, who’s laser-focused on victory but takes Blue’s words (“win or lose, it’s fun to try!”) to heart—a revelation that may lead to worthwhile storytime discussions. When Blue’s farm animal friends hop into the truck for the ride home, Racer Red tags along and learns a second lesson, one about speed. “Fast is fun, / and slow is too, / as long as you’re / with friends.”

A friendship tale with solid messaging and plenty of fun sounds to share. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 25, 2025

ISBN: 9780063387843

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Clarion/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Jan. 18, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S TRANSPORTATION

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK MAKES A FRIEND
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by Jill McElmurry

- BOOK REVIEW
TIME FOR SCHOOL, LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

- BOOK REVIEW
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK'S VALENTINE
by Alice Schertle ; illustrated by John Joseph

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)