Alice Ann Gets Ready for School

In what amounts to an inventive primer on the days leading to that all-important first day of school, Jabar presents a busy five-year-old who just can't wait for the big event. When Alice Ann picks out new shoes, she tries on red shoes, silly shoes, grown-up shoes--and perfect shoes, which she tests out periodically to make sure they still fit. Acquiring the right lunch box is another happy ordeal. Her father brings home notebooks and she chooses two in her favorite colors. One older sister offers Alice Ann bubble bath the night before, and another braids her hair in the morning. She heads for the bus with her siblings; the last picture, without text, shows Alice Ann being warmly welcomed to the classroom by her teacher. This child enters into each new experience with gusto, and no small amount of worry. But the people around her reassure her, and the entire bouncing book is so positive and friendly that children facing that same first day are bound to feel a jolt of excitement with each new page. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)