School has begun, or is about to begin, and children are beginning a new year with new teachers and subjects to learn. Some important things kids learn besides academics are friendship, kindness and getting along with others. Here are some outstanding picture books on these other subjects, as well as etiquette and manners. All of these books are good for ages 4 through 8.
Little Lola, by Julie Saab, and illustrated by her husband, David Gothard, is about a cat, Lola, who desires to have an adventure. When Lola finds discarded leggings, sneakers, a backpack and even pink eyeglasses on the ground, she puts them on and races to catch a school bus. Once in school, Lola experiences great school activities. When she finds a mouse there, she uses it for “show-and-tell” which results in humorous chaos. The wonderful and colorful watercolors fill the pages and add perfectly to the story, making this a great introduction to school for the newest arrivals.
My Teacher is a Monster! (No I’m Not), by Peter Brown, is an excellent book showcasing that children need not be afraid of their teachers. Young Robert is very much afraid of his teacher. The mixed media used to illustrate the pictures initially depicts the teacher looking mean. Robert doesn’t like the fact that she sometimes uses a loud voice when disciplining her students for throwing paper airplanes in class. But when he meets her in the park and gets to know her as a person, and not a teacher, she becomes nice looking. This is an excellent book helping youngsters understand why their teacher must have order and respect in the classroom.
Flip & Fin: We Rule the School, by Timothy Gill, and illustrated with watercolor by Neil Numberman, is actually a great ice-breaker for classroom settings that will help make for an accepting atmosphere with students. Flip and Fin are sand shark twins who are getting ready for their school joke day. Flip is nervous and trying to find the best joke, and when he finally does, he’s scared to say it in front of his school. His brother and friends help out and save the day. There are really fun and funny jokes found throughout the book that youngsters in second and third grades would better understand and really enjoy. The humorous paintings of the fish are fun as well. There are more jokes found at the back as well as information about the fish found in the book.
The Troublemaker, by Lauren Castillo, vividly shows with etchings of colors abounding off the page, a young boy who appears bored and decides to sneak away with his little sister’s favorite stuffed bunny for his pirate game. He gets in trouble with his mom for being a troublemaker and returns the now wet animal. However, there is another troublemaker at play here and the reader can find clues of what it is throughout the story. In the end, the boy learns his lesson as the mysterious troublemaker takes his favorite toy and is eventually discovered. There are many lessons and discussions to be learned here.
Two Speckled Eggs, by Jennifer K. Mann, is the perfect story to teach youngsters to include others in group activities and make friends with even those kids who are left out. Ginger is about to have her birthday party at her home. Her mom made her include every girl in her class, even though she didn’t want to invite Lyla, who “smelled like old leaves…. (and) didn’t talk much“. But Ginger discovers something pretty amazing at her party: the other girls didn’t cooperate with her planned games and they didn’t even like her cherished flavors in her cake, except for Lyla. The illustrations are a nice match with the story. The author/illustrator used simple penciled figures with a blend of gouache and digital collage adding to this sweet story.