In a cumulative text that echoes "The 12 Days of Christmas," an enthusiastic child chronicles the high points of starting a new school year in a first grade classroom. The adventure begins as the brown-skinned narrator, along with a multi-ethnic procession of children, wave goodbye to their parents and cheerfully make their way to their new desks. ("On the first day of first grade/ I had fun right away/ laughing and learning all day!") By day three, "choosing books to read" makes the growing list of enjoyable class activities, followed by throwing a ball and building with clay. On day 12, a lively show-and-tell session, which includes "showing my pet bunny," marks an exciting finale to the first few weeks of school. Artwork by Jennings (Feelings) features a steady stream of cheery faces and colorful classroom tools sure to prove inviting to prospective students. Ages 4-8. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From its happy cover with smiling children waving on the school bus, this book celebrates the fun of being in first grade. The unnamed first-person narrator appears to be a young boy, and he enthusiastically announces his daily adventures in a cumulative, This Is the House That Jack Built -style. The environment is immediately comforting, and the refrain is one of laughter and learning. Each day brings another positive, child-centered experience, like helping, choosing books to read, planting seeds, and telling time. Gym and performing and fine arts are also included. The cumulative nature of the text adds an interactive memory-game element to the story: young readers can recite all the activities described and read along with the final line, laughing and learning all day. Jennings' illustrations showcase wide-eyed, multiethnic children, all eager and active, and her use of bright colors add to the joyful feel. Pair with Kindergarten, Here I Come! (2012), by D. J. Steinberg, for another exciting day of learning.--Ching, Edie Copyright 2018 Booklist

The traditional song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" gets a school makeover as readers follow a cheery narrator through the first 12 days of first grade. "On the first day of first grade / I had fun right away // laughing and learning all day!" In these first two spreads, Jennings shows the child, who has brown skin and a cloud of dark-brown hair, entering the schoolyard with a diverse array of classmates and settling in. In the backgrounds, caregivers, including a woman in hijab, stand at the fence and kids hang things on hooks in the back of the room. Each new day sees the child and their friends enjoying new things, previous days' activities repeated in the verses each time so that those listening will soon be chiming in. The child helps in the classroom, checks out books from the library, plants seeds, practices telling time and counting money, leads the line, performs in a play, shows off a picture of their pet bunny, and does activities in gym, music, and art classes. The Photoshop-and-watercolor illustrations portray adorable and engaged kids having fun while learning with friends. But while the song and topic are the same, this doesn't come close to touching either the hysterical visuals or great rhythm of Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstong-Ellis' The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003). For places where the first-grade shelves are particularly thin. (Picture book. 5-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

PreS-Gr 1-This cumulative book follows a young student from his initial moments dressing for the school year's first day through two weeks of memorable first grade experiences as he finds "fun right away" from the classroom to library, science class, art, P.E., and music. Cartoon art, digitally created from watercolor, celebrates the diversity of students' gender, ethnicity, religion, and physical abilities, while a change in font accentuates the highlighted activity of six marvelous days. Small individual successes and images of team-building are both included: featured scenes present students as they tell time or count with coins, create art with clay, lead others in a line, learn with hands-on activities in science, individually choose books in the library, participate in a play, help in the classroom, or communicate with other classmates. VERDICT An ideal first-day read for younger students; the repeated text refrain for each day will have first graders recognizing their own experiences or creating verses as they delight in "laughing and learning all day."-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.