First Day of School

A young bird’s anxieties about beginning school quickly fly away after a fun and reassuring first day. “I’m only looking around,” young Robin insists when his mother walks him to school: an enormous old tree with cozy carved-out gathering spaces and plenty of ladders and swings. His teacher, a kindly fox, guides new student Robin through a day of activities with his animal classmates, from circle time sharing through playing, snack, gym, and art, with the bird ever-curious about the agenda (“Ma’am? What do we do now?”). By day’s end, Robin’s had such a great time that he doesn’t want to leave. Van den Berg’s digital compositions have a palette of dark reds and browns and brushstroke-like textures. What’s not to love about a tree school replete with indoor plumbing, a huge stump that serves as a lunch table, and twinkling strand lights above the door? Ages 4–9. (July)