We Love Our School!: A Read-Together Rebus Story

by Judy Sierra, Linda Davick (Illustrator)

Overview

This picture book about the first day of school, featuring a frog, a duck, a mouse, and a snail, combines a story in rhyme with colorful graphic rebuses, making it a fun book for parent and child to share in the reading. Children about to enter kindergarten or first grade who long to be able to read will get a sense of accomplishment by "reading" the little rebus pictures in the story. Judy Sierra, author of Wild About Books, uses bouncy rhyme and rhythm as cues for the child to name the pictogram rebuses. Preschoolers will enjoy following the animals and their teacher, Tom Burkey (who is a turkey), through a happy first day of school.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307980045
Publisher:	RH Childrens Books
Publication date:	07/08/2019
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
File size:	6 MB
Age Range:	4 - 6 Years

About the Author

JUDY SIERRA loved reading with rebuses as a very young child. Her acclaimed stories in rhyme include Wild About Books, an E. B. White Read Aloud Award winner; Born to Read; and The Sleepy Little Alphabet. Some of her other books that have tickled the funny bones of children are Mind Your Manners, B. B.Wolf and Tell the Truth, B. B.Wolf.

LINDA DAVICK is a graphic Web site designer and innovative children's book illustrator. Her vibrant computer art has illustrated three popular early learning picture books, 10 Trick-or-Treaters, 10 Trim-the-Tree'ers, and 10 Easter Egg Hunters, all by Janet Schulman.

Editorial Reviews

"This is a simple but thoroughly charming little gem of a book. While the story line covers no new ground–four animals enjoy typical school activities–the presentation raises it to the next level. For one thing, Sierra has told the tale in effortless rhyme. For another, the rebus format makes it a perfect lap-sit choice with a parent or caregiver reading the words and a child “reading” the easily decipherable pictures. The illustrations . . . are bright and cheerful and should have considerable appeal for the new-to-school set."
- School Library Journal

"Just right for new kindergartners and preschoolers who cannot yet read words, this is one school story that they will be able to help in reading. The draw of Sierra’s latest is the rhyming verse that is interspersed with rebus pictures, allowing children to chime in and participate in the telling . . . Davick’s brightly colored digital illustrations show all the quintessential elements of school—from the playground and bus outside to the decorations and supplies inside. Throughout, kindness, sharing and being helpful are modeled by the anthropomorphized cartoon animals in both the artwork and the nursery-rhyme cadences. A comforting and empowering build-up to the big day—kindergarten (or preschool), here we come!
- Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

Wow, it is the first day of school and there is so much to do to get ready and be on time. The story of four new students and their teacher is presented in a rebus format in the reader that appears more like a picture book in format. Even the summary on the inside flap follows the rebus format with pictures substituting for words. The frog has an unusual way to get to school—he travels across the pond on a sail boat and if kids look closely they will see that it has a most unusual name. A duck arrives in a truck and the snail hitches a ride on the tail of a mouse. The home room teacher is a turkey (perhaps not the very best choice of animals) but it may be playing for laughs. Other teachers include Mrs. Rabbit who teaches art, but most of the day is spent with Mr. Turkey. Lunch is promptly at noon, followed by music class, and counting. At the end of the day all the students exclaim how much they love their school. It is silly and amusing and may be just the right story to get kids heading off to school for the first time into a light-hearted mood. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

PreS-K—This is a simple but thoroughly charming little gem of a book. While the story line covers no new ground—four animals enjoy typical school activities—the presentation raises it to the next level. For one thing, Sierra has told the tale in effortless rhyme. For another, the rebus format makes it a perfect lap-sit choice with a parent or caregiver reading the words and a child "reading" the easily decipherable pictures. The illustrations have a flat quality and appear to be digitally done, but they are bright and cheerful and should have considerable appeal for the new-to-school set. Not an essential purchase, but an appealing addition to any collection.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

School Library Journal

Just right for new kindergartners and preschoolers who cannot yet read words, this is one school story that they will be able to help in reading.

The draw of Sierra's latest is the rhyming verse that is interspersed with rebus pictures, allowing children to chime in and participate in the telling. It is the first day of school for Frog, Duck, Mouse and Snail. The first-day activities include writing their names, building with blocks, counting and playing alphabet games. They also sing with their teacher, Mr. Burkey, attend art class with Mrs. Rabbit and, of course, eat lunch: "The polka-dot snail / Brought her lunch in a [pail]. / The duck had some soup in a [cup]. / The frog caught a [fly], / And the mouse shared her [pie] / With their teacher, who gobbled it [up]." By the end of the day, they are all fast friends who love school. Davick's brightly colored digital illustrations show all the quintessential elements of school—from the playground and bus outside to the decorations and supplies inside. Throughout, kindness, sharing and being helpful are modeled by the anthropomorphized cartoon animals in both the artwork and the nursery-rhyme cadences.

A comforting and empowering build-up to the big day—kindergarten (or preschool), here we come! (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews