Off to School, Baby Duck!
PreSchool-Grade 1 Baby Duck's new adventure uses the now-familiar format to handle a common childhood fear with uncommon grace and humor. Baby is understandably nervous on the first day of school, even though her mother assures her that she is "big and brave." Her parents and little sister blithely lead the way to school, as she drags behind. Baby's ever-attentive Grampa waits in the schoolyard, ready as always with just the right questions and confidence boosts she needs. As she shows him all the important things in her school bag, her worries begin to melt away. Grampa even double-checks a few things with the teacher, Miss Posy: "Are you mean? Do you sing songs in that schoolhouse? Do you like sandwiches with jam, and yellow pencils?" And so, fears allayed, Baby Duck skips off to school. Hest and Barton treat their subject with understanding, compassion, and gentle humor. The large, bright pictures make this an ideal storytime book, and the detailed expressions make the characters' emotions from Baby's initial hesitation to Grampa's careful listening come to life. No matter how many going-to-school books you already have, don't miss out on this one. Kathleen M. Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, Eldersburg, MDCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.