Jellybean goes to School by Margaret Roc and Laura Hughes
Random House Australia. Tamarind Imprint, 2013. ISBN 9781848530751.
(Age: 3-5) Highly recommended. Like many other little people around
this time of the year, Beena (known to her family as Jellybean) is
so excited about starting school and has been looking forward
tremendously to learning to read and write, and finding out about
the world and its wonders.
When the great day arrives, she is up early and dressed in her new
uniform and shiny new shoes - ready for anything. That is until she
actually walks through the school gate with her mum, when she is
assailed by sudden trepidation. Maybe school isn't such a good idea,
Jellybean worries.
With reassurance from Mum and gentle encouragement from her kind
teacher Miss Benson, Jellybean and her new friend Alex both discover
during their first day that school can be a marvellous place.
The delightful illustrations in this book are particularly enhanced
by a lively choice of colours. The double page spreads with
Jellybean's imaginative thoughts partnered with the activity of the
moment are simply gorgeous and will make any little person enthused
about the possibilities for themselves. I particularly like
the diversity of children shown in the playground and classroom,
with Jellybean herself clearly not 'Anglo'.
Whether you have Kinder kids of your own, preschoolers anticipating
'big school' or as a read-on-the-first-day choice to assuage any
anxieties, this is a terrifically appealing book.
Perfect for Miss Four and definitely going on her bookshelf, this is
highly recommended for your littlies from 3-5 years.
Sue Warren