Hello, Crayons! And Other School Friends

School supplies confidently introduce themselves via rhyme in a gregarious board book that’s poised to prepare new backpack wearers for the classroom. Each spread presents a different “friend,” beginning with crayons and followed by items such as a pencil, paint set, and notebook. First-person stanzas open with a simple introduction, the lines describing activities that each subject can accomplish: “I’m a ruler,/ I lead and I measure./ Just test me out/ on all your school treasures,” Eliot writes. Clark’s stickerlike artwork places basic thin-lined facial features on the objects for a cheerfully inviting effect. A final passage celebrates the objects’ raison d’être: “We’re your school supplies./ We’ll help you reach your dreams/ of what you’ll do in class/ and who you’ll one day be!” Final art not seen by PW. Ages up to 3. (June)