Goodnight, School

Bailey and Doerrfeld skillfully twine story lines in this loving after-hours tribute to a stalwart school building. Following a long day, the school is ready for some much-needed rest (“All the cubbies yawn,/ lined up, clean and neat.// Worksheets settle in./ Erasers are just beat”), and a pale-skinned night guard’s arrival signals the structure’s bedtime. Meanwhile, a red-eared slider turtle escapes its classroom terrarium and embarks on a journey through the rooms, cleverly evading the diligent security guard, who notices that something’s amiss while making rounds. The characters’ near-misses offers plenty opportunity for sight gags that showcase the turtle’s ingenuity (it crouches beneath a tambourine in the music room and swipes a cupcake from the teachers’ lounge) while subtly celebrating all the spaces and things that make school a place filled with near-constant activity. Human background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (June)