The Exceptionally, Extraordinarily Ordinary First Day of School
Gr 2-4–John, the new kid in school, is looking for an unexceptional environment because his old one was just the opposite. “My old school was really, really old. And kind of a hangout for ravens. It could be sorta messy.” John's definitions of “Extraordinary facts” related to the various scenarios he describes are listed in glossary panels on the right-hand edges of the fantastical spreads. The pictures were created with watercolor, color pencil, pen-and-ink, and airbrush. Humanlike animals–“Anthropomorphism–The practice of thinking that your pet cat (or rat or rhino) has human qualities”–appear in the detailed visual feasts, which beg for inspection. Eerie surprises exist in the illustrations, and the glossary includes bathroom humor, outrageous comments on teachers, dark humor, and slang. The book's format adds to its appeal with varying fonts for the artwork, a consistent font for the story, and speech bubbles. An unusual picture book, for most libraries.–Mary Elam, Learning Media Services Plano ISD, TXα(c) Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.