With jaunty rhymes and a spunky heroine brimming with a go-to attitude, Kirk’s sprightly tale encourages readers to let their inner star shine. From the moment she boards the bus until school is out, Keisha approaches her day with a confident attitude and a smile to match. Keisha models persistence even when things go awry and minds proper manners as she makes her way through a typical school day that includes all the minutiae of school life, from passing out paints to signing artwork. Kirk’s boldly colored gouache illustrations seem to shimmer with African-American Keisha’s ebullience and energy. With its gentle lessons in behavior, this charismatic tale will offer guidance to and bolster the self-esteem of readers both new to school as well as seasoned students. One caveat: Readers of a certain generation may find themselves reading aloud to the rhythm of the “Candy Man” song. (Picture book. 4-7)
