THE COLOR MONSTER GOES TO SCHOOL

A reluctant monster learns the ins and outs of school with help from his pal Nuna.

Monster doesn’t know what school is at first, and the items he wants to bring in his backpack will have readers giggling (and making lists of their own). Nuna straightens him out pretty quickly and drags him to school, literally, by one foot, where parents, kids, and teacher stand outside, all but three of the 14 with glum looks on their faces that can’t compete with Nuna’s “We’re going to have a really good time.” The school day unfolds as most do, with the typical first-day firsts and class activities, Monster getting up to minor trouble. Readers unfamiliar with his previous books may be confused as to whether the color-changing Monster is one or several monsters, the crayonlike scratchings that fill him in ranging from green, gray, and yellow to several pages where he’s multicolored. Just before the school day (and the book) ends, it’s explained that he changes color based on his mood. Collaged elements give the scribbly, childlike illustrations some 3-D pop. Of the nine kids and their teacher, one is a child of color; the rest, including Nuna, are paper-white. One child and the teacher wear glasses. This book is a Spanish import, and U.S. readers may find it interesting to observe that this school includes a classroom of babies.

Leave this book to the monsters and choose a different one for your little one’s first day.