The Class

Ashburn (I Had a Favorite Hat) turns her attention to the preparations that go into getting ready for school, bouncing among 20 children as they wake up, get dressed, and have breakfast, with varying speeds and degrees of enthusiasm (“Five begin to look alive./ This one’s sure he won’t survive./ One is tickled. Two look worried./ One woke late and now she’s hurried!”). Gee (Today with Meg and Ted) turns in some excellent work, strongly evoking personalities for each of the children through body language, eccentric clothing choices, and a bevy of homey details that will resonate with a broad range of readers. Indeed, the book’s biggest strength is its subtle recognition of difference: even though these kids are all headed to the same place, their individual family situations, moods, and interests all play roles in bringing them there. Ages 4–8. [em]Illustrator’s agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. (July) [/em]