A day at nursery school is very busy for one small guinea pig. A good breakfast gives him energy to be fast, while shaping play dough gives him an opportunity to be strong. Right-hand pages describe all his different activities. A page-turn reveals a large-font adjective describing that action and an illustration epitomizing it. At day’s end, he uses all the skills in combination, showing how he can be “busy and strong, careful and helpful, and quiet and clever too. Then I can be noisy and fast as I run . . . right into my mummy’s arms.” Identical opening and closing sentences are seemingly unrelated to the main text, but this still does not detract from what is a wonderful introduction to nursery-school activities and materials. Richards’s lovable characters accurately portray the fruits of a preschooler’s labor, as well as his or her facial expressions. Her cute and cuddly guinea pigs are just right for settling the nerves of new nursery-schoolers. (Picture book. 3-6)
