WHAT TEACHERS CAN’T DO

Following in the tradition of What Fathers Can’t Do (2001) and What Mothers Can’t Do (2000), Wood moves on to present a tongue-in-cheek look at the shortcomings of teachers. It is well-known that teachers are not allowed to be tardy and that they cannot ride skateboards to school, but readers might be surprised to discover that teachers cannot buy their own apples or that they “can’t teach best without flowers on their desk.” It’s amazing that with all their knowledge they can’t seem to spell the word “cat” or remember the solution to two plus two. Perhaps they are distracted by the fact that “they can’t use that hall pass to go to the bathroom;” maybe it’s that “teachers can’t go down the tube slide at recess. . . .” But whatever their shortcomings, it’s the things they can do that seem to matter. Hilarious and brightly colored drawings of the dinosaur teachers with pearls and glasses and dinosaurs preschoolers with backpacks and pigtails accompany the text. It seems that even after having paint on their clothes and chalk dust in their hair and lungs, teachers “can’t wait to come back to school tomorrow.” Somewhat saccharine, but worthy praise for an under-appreciated profession. (Picture book. 4-7)