It's Your First Day of School, Annie Claire

As she savors her last day of freedom with her beloved mother, a puppy proves to be a cute bundle of anxieties. What if school is a series of small disasters—spilled milk, social rejection, homesickness and snoring during naptime? Mom confesses to a little anxiety herself (“We will get used to this./ We both have to try”), but adds that nothing is really changing: “My love stays with you/ Wherever you are—/ Whenever I'm near you,/ Whenever I'm far.” Carlstrom's cooing and Moore's dainty watercolors probably make this too mushy for many, but children who need big doses of comfort may find it the literary equivalent of a security blanket. Ages 3–7. (Aug.)