The narrator in First Day tells of her first-day jitters in simple, rhyming sentences:

Swirls of girls,
bands of boys,
talking, laughing, making noise.
I already miss my toys.
It's only my first day.

Once in the classroom she plans her getaway (digging to China with a spoon, or taking a rocket to the moon). "I'd be outta here by noon," she posits. But, like most children on their first day, the narrator finds that school is not quite as bad as she imagined it to be. Coloring sheets with teddy bears, building tall towers, a new lunch box, and recess, all combine to make the day enjoyable. By story's end she asks, "How much better can it get on my second day?"

Accompanying the large-print text are watercolor and acrylic illustrations. Done in somewhat muted, warm colors, the childlike paintings are full of realistic details and smiling faces, giving the book a comforting, friendly feel.

Classroom Use: This is a great choice for a first-day-of-school read aloud.

Reviewed by the teachers at Education Oasis.