Butterflies on the First Day of School by Annie Silvestro and Dream Chen - Children's Day #2

Rosie practiced raising her hand, writing her letters, and saying her teacher's name. 
She couldn't wait to start school. 
But the night before her first day, Rosie couldn't sleep. 
In the morning, her belly hurt. 
She didn't touch her chocolate chip pancakes. 
"Maybe I'd better stay home," said Rosie. "I don't want Emily to be lonely."


Butterflies on the First Day of School by Annie Silvestro and Dream Chen is about how one little girl gradually gains confidence throughout her first day of school. Metaphorical butterflies represent nervousness. When Rosie and her friend Isabella do something courageous (talking to a stranger on the bus when Rosie first speaks to her seat mate, Violet, for example), one or more butterflies will fly out of each girl's mouth, symbolizing that little bit of nerves that is flying away.

Butterflies on the First Day of School shows Rosie getting ready for school, riding on the bus, having circle time in which the children share three things about themselves, having playtime inside and out, making friends, and then waving goodbye to her new friends and arriving home.

Recommended, especially for new preschoolers or kindergarteners - The activities shown (painting, circle time, playtime, flipping through books) are done in both preschool and kindergarten so Butterflies on the First Day of School covers nervous schoolgoers across those ages but since some children don't attend either, I'm sure it'll work for 1st graders, as well. I adore the use of the butterflies to show how Rosie loses her nervous feelings and gains confidence throughout her first school day. I also am quite fond of the fact that Rosie has a cat at home so illustrations of her preparing for school, sleeping, and having breakfast include a kitty.

I received a copy of Butterflies on the First Day of School from Sterling Children's Books for review. Thank you!


©2019 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Mice Skating by Annie Silvestro and Teagan White

Lucy is not like the other mice, who huddle in their burrows during the winter. She likes everything about winter. But, she isn't having any luck convincing her friends to go outdoors. She's tried bringing them snowcones, staging an indoor snowball fight, and showing them an icicle without convincing them.

After Lucy discovers how much fun it is to slide around on homemade ice skates, she comes up with an idea and quietly works in her room. Everyone's curious what she's up to. Finally, Lucy finishes her job and gives each of her friends a warm hat. Then she asks them to follow her outdoors, where Lucy shows them how she ice skates.

She spriraled and swirled,
swizzled and twizzled, 
loop-do-looped.
She was flying!

"Marvelous!" cried Mona.
"Spectacular!" called Millie.
"Brie-vissimo!" cheered Marcello.
"We want to try!" squeaked her friends. 

Besides the hats, Lucy has made each of her friends a pair of ice skates from pine needles. They teeter, wobble, and fall, but eventually their practice pays off. Now, they understand the joy of winter.

Highly recommended - A delightful winter tale about one little mouse sharing her greatest joy with her reluctant friends. Mice Skating by Annie Silvestro and Teagan White is my favorite of the three books in this batch. I love everything about it: the storyline, the softly colored illustrations, the beautiful writing, the cheese jokes. If you live in a hot climate like I do, you and the children in your world might be tempted to pull it out in the summer to remember cooler days and it serves as a great reminder of all the things that make winter fun.

©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.