Oh My Books!

Book Review: 1, 2, 3 off to school! By Marianne Dubuc In this playful take on school readiness by award-winning author-illustrator Marianne Dubuc, a child visits their friends’ schools and discovers how many wonderful things kindergarteners do in a day! Pom is ready for the first day of kindergarten. Not the real first day, that’s not for another year. But Pom has been hearing a lot from all the animals about each of their schools. So today Pom is visiting them all, to see what kindergarten is really like. Pom starts by watching the mouselings ride the bird bus; then the rabbits learning to read, write and count; the froglets making art; the foxes playing sports; the bear cubs sharing lunch; the sloths napping; the squirrels exploring nature; the wolf pups reading stories; the turtles doing classroom tasks; and, finally, the hedgehogs waiting to be picked up in the schoolyard. Pom is thrilled to discover there are so many fun activities to enjoy at school! Best of all, now Pom knows wh...

"This is the first time I'm taking the bus by myself. Mom packed me a snack -- and had me bring my sweater in case I get cold." But Mom likely didn't imagine the adventure her little girl would have as she rides to her grandmother's house in this sweet picture book. While the bus is taking her down the streets, through a forest and into a pitch-black tunnel, the little girl encounters an assortment of animal characters who enliven her journey, including a goat who offers her a flower from a bouquet, a wolf child with whom she happily shares her cookies and a fox who attempts to pickpocket a bear. Adding to the fun are lots of running visual gags, such as the changing headlines on the newspaper that hides one passenger's face, a sleeping sloth who mysteriously appears in different seats without ever having woken up and a nervous-looking turtle whose head and arms pop in and out of its shell. The interior of the bus covers each two-page spread, and a...