Tucker's Four-Carrot School Day
by Susan Winget
Susan Winget has created greeting cards, calendars, and other delightful country home products,
but Tucker's Four-Carrot School Day is her first picture book. As a story, it's
sweet but predictable - Tucker is fearful of starting school but ends up having a great
time on his first day. Still, for all its predictability, it's a story preschoolers never
tire of hearing when they can see their "first day" looming on the horizon. They like being
reassured that first days are almost always fun. The illustrations are sweet, bright, and
lively. The characterization choices made by Ms. Winget reflect her background in greeting
cards and can be a bit bewildering for quizzical readers - my 5-year-old wanted to know
why Tucker was a stuffed bunny while Scout was clearly supposed to be a "real" dog. And
why did Millie (a kitty) walk on two legs and hold things in her "hands" while Scout (the
puppy) ran around on four legs and held things in his mouth when it was clear they were
classmates? It is a bit unusual to see personified stuffed toys representing children
alongside personified animals but though it resulted in some mild puzzlement, it didn't
spoil the story. For a young child approaching that first day of school, it's a sweet
comforting story with bright cheery illustrations - definitely a keeper. |
The Reviewer |
Jan Fields |
Reviewed 2005 |
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