THANK YOU, TEACHER!

On our best days and our most challenging ones, teachers are always there to help.

A young student with light brown skin reflects on the twists and turns of the school year and expresses gratitude: “Thank you, teacher, / for everything you do.” The gym teacher helps students feel brave, the art teacher shows patience (and maybe a little exasperation) with a particularly chatty group, the librarian hosts a book drive, and the music teacher encourages students to rock out. Throughout the year, vibrant, buzzing scenes depict detailed scenarios, some joyous, like a multicultural holiday celebration, others filled with anxiety or frustration, such as a poignant spread depicting a distressed teacher reading a newspaper story about book banning. Jewel-toned, mixed-media collages lend warmth and depth to each scene. The spare text is enhanced by the characters’ simple but expressive drawn-on cartoon faces. Teachers and students are portrayed with an array of skin tones; one child wears a head wrap, and another uses a wheelchair. The book reads like an ode to educators everywhere, marked by moments that are at once specific to one child’s classroom experience and universal to students everywhere.

A touching gift for any teacher who’s made an impact.