On the First Day of Grade School
By Emily Brenner

      Monkeys, goats and a python, oh my!

       Now, here is an animated, amusing look at the first day of grade school. In the vane of the ever popular song “Twelve Days of Christmas” Brenner’s teacher tells little readers what her students brought her on the first day of grade school, and she starts with the big, slithering, lazy eyed snake!

“On the first day of grade school,
      my students gave to me
          A python
                That didn’t squeeze me.”

      There are goats, mice, skunks and more. With the turn of each page, young readers will giggle with delight. Illustrator Bruce Whatley’s colorful, comical pictures show the expression of a young, freckled-face teacher as she spies each gift. The fuller her classroom becomes, the funnier the characters in the illustrations become. The scenes cover two pages and are so well detailed young readers will linger over them.

     Parents and teachers, here’s the perfect gift to take the stress off the first day of school. It would certainly be a memorable first day read for the classroom. Just look for the book jacket covered with gift boxes of peeking eyes, sniffing snouts, eaves-dropping ears, stripped tails, prostrated chicken feet, and a pink tutu. You can’t miss it.