The Teachers I Loved Best

Mali crafts a love poem whose speaker fondly recalls the actions of encouraging, inspiring, and supportive educators. Among those given a shout-out are a science teacher who had students dramatize “the intricate way/ that the planets and their moons revolve around the sun” and an art instructor, “dressed in white paint-splattered smocks,” who “looked like a doctor—with a dash of Valentine.” Other examples abound (“Those great educators? They’re not always teachers”), but above all, Mali stresses that leading with heart is key (“I loved the teachers I loved best.../ ...because they loved me back”). In flow with Mali’s heartfelt words, Root’s fanciful illustrations combine real-life scenarios and dreamlike visions; vining flowers sprout from a book in a child’s hand, and a teacher and students ride an open book through puffy clouds. A cast of children and adults represent a range of abilities and skin tones in this affectionate celebration of those reaching the profession’s ideals. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)