THANK YOU, SCHOOL

A clutch of children salute the adults who make the school day hum.

“Dylan and Madeleine—7:15 a.m. / THANK YOU / to our teachers… / who head to school / with dreams for us / just as the sun / wakes up the day.” So begins a series of thank-yous in verse addressed to custodians, crossing guards, librarians, and other grown-ups who ensure that children thrive during a typical day. Next up after Dylan and Madeleine is “Anders—7:54 a.m. / THANK YOU / to our bus drivers,” and on it goes until it’s 3:25 p.m., the end of the school day, when “All of us!” extend thanks to “each person / who makes our school / tick like a perfect clock!” Borden’s premise is so solid that it’s a pity readers may not initially grasp whether the names at the top of each thank-you correspond with the adults being honored or the children giving thanks. (A simple “from” or “by” before the kids’ names would have done the trick.) Regardless, it’s hard to imagine a reader who won’t get caught up in this giddy-making gratitude-fest. Keiser’s digitally tweaked multimedia art depicts rosy-cheeked kids and adults who vary in terms of race and ethnicity. Her images appear to have been assembled with cut-paper or silk-screened shapes in color combos fresh enough to get the day off to a rollicking start.

May well give readers the thank-you bug.