Review of School's First Day of School by Adam Rex

School's First Day of School explores the nervousness that comes with the first day of school. Whether you are a student, parent or teacher, the first day of school can be nerve-wracking! Now imagine how it would be to be a brand-new school building, welcoming hundreds of students for the first time. School's First Day of School tells the story of the first day from the school's point of view. And he is just a nervous as the rest of us.

Image

Image of School's First Day of School by Adam Rex; Robinson, C. (2016). [Cover image of School's first day of school]. Retrieved from https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781596439641

Evaluation

Adam Rex deftly navigates the fears and nervousness of a child's first day of school. Instead of downplaying a child's fears or telling him that it will all be fine, Rex shows that's it's okay to have mixed feelings. "I don't like school," whispers one child, and the school thinks, "Maybe it doesn't like you either" (Rex, 2016, p. 20). At another point in the day, the school squirts a boy in the face with water from his water fountain, and afterwards feels bad about it (Rex, 2016, p. 18). School becomes embarrassed when his fire alarm goes off and everyone has to file out the building (Rex, 2016, p. 22) and when he is "covered with nose milk" (Rex, 2016, p. 24) when a child snorts milk out of his nose while laughing at a funny joke. But beyond the difficult moments, School learns about shapes with the kindergartners (Rex, 2016, p. 26) and relates to the sad freckle-faced girl. Though his day wasn't perfect, School decides that it wasn't so bad after all. The strength of Rex's story is that it resonates completely with students who are heading off to their first day of school. It doesn't sugarcoat things or assume that it will be okay; there is bad mixed in with the good, just as there is in the real world.

Chris Robinson's paint and collage art serves to reinforce the text. At the very beginning of the story, the school building is anthropomorphized. The windows on the door serve as eyes, the handles are the nose, and the concrete steps dip into a smiling mouth. At the beginning of the book, the newly-built school is happy. Once School realizes that children will be coming into him and filling him up, he is not too sure about whether he will like children. The following page shows another exterior image, as students arrive for the first day; School's smile is gone and the reader can tell that he is wary and anxious about these hordes of children. As the book continues, we see more interior pictures, including the students who feel nervous, the boy who snorts milk out his nose, and the curly-haired boy who gets sprayed by the water fountain. By the end of the day, the children are gone, School has realized he enjoyed having the children around, and he is smiling again. The face of the school is subtle and could be easily missed, but it serves to reinforce the idea that starting school is tough.

Christian Robinson’s style of art is naïve, and this simplicity in the art is ideal for a book for young children. The colors and shapes are simple, almost like a young student would draw them. The school is a basic rectangular box with five windows and a door. The houses and cars are simple, child-like drawings. The colors are bright and cheerful; the yellows, greens, reds and blues evoke memories of a warm, inviting kindergarten classroom. The simplicity of the art fits the story beautifully. Though the art is naïve, the illustrations are full of details that help extend the text. The freckle-faced girl’s mom walks through the school door holding her cell phone in one hand and the distraught girl in the other. The children are diverse: their skin is black and brown and white, and there is even a little girl in a wheelchair. Another little boy is shown wearing a suit and tie on the playground. The simple art makes the book accessible to its audience while at the same time providing details to engage the viewer.

Response

I thought Adam Rex's School's First Day of School was a brilliant book because we can all relate to the jitters of going back to school. Most of us have been students at one point or another, so the anxiety of the first day is completely relatable. As a mom, I will never forget my kids' first day so kindergarten. I was so nervous for them, and I know they were anxious too. Though there are many books about starting school, this one stands out because of its point of view. Even the school is nervous! As a future librarian, this book would be an essential addition to my elementary school library. School's First Day of School would be an excellent read-aloud for kids, especially kindergartners, as they start school. The book is funny, the illustrations are simple yet engaging, and the students would be able to relate to School's feelings. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book, from Christian Robinson's simple illustrations to the smart, funny text. I have read many books by Adam Rex and he is an author I trust; his books are funny and engaging and popular with students. Likewise, the illustrator, Caldecott-honoree Christian Robinson, is one to watch. His illustrations are distinctive and engaging. Together, Rex and Robinson have created a compelling, insightful book.

Conclusion

I highly recommend School's First Day of School for all elementary school libraries and parents of young children. The text itself resonates very clearly with young readers, and the illustrations are the perfect complement for the words. The art style is simple and accessible to youngsters, and the illustrations reinforce and extend the text. This book would be an ideal read-aloud for families before the first day of school, or for a librarian to read on the first day of school. 5 stars.

Citation

Rex, A. (2016). School's first day of school. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.

Robinson, C. (2016). [Cover image of School's first day of school]. Retrieved from https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781596439641