Brown, Carron. Starting School. Stef Murphy, Illus. Picture Book. Shine a Light: My World Series. Kane Miller, 01/2022. [36]pp. $12.99. 978-1-68464-283-0. HIGH ADDITIONAL. GRADES PRE-2.
Several children representing different ethnicities are shown getting ready for the first day of school: picking out what to wear, getting on the bus, meeting their new teacher (who is a Black man), and more. This unusual interactive book makes a great read-aloud because it has a “shine-a-light” feature. This involves the reader holding up a flashlight to the back of the right side of each spread, which reveals a hidden image, such as a backpack’s contents or what the teacher is writing on the board. One plus is that you do not need a flashlight to use the book since the hidden picture can also be seen by turning the page, which makes this useful for anyone. The book concludes with two pages of brief explanations of various aspects of the story, including more on the teacher, principal, cafeteria, school nurse, etc. for first-time students. The full-color artwork uses a pastel palette and is serviceable but not particularly original or creative.
Penny Peck, San Jose State University, iSchool