BEGINNING SCHOOL
by Irene Smalls & illustrated by Toni Goffe
The first day of school, with all its attendant excitement, is presented from the point of view of Alicia, an African-American girl who joins a multiracial class. Smalls (Father's Day Blues, 1995, etc.) includes many of the activities children can expect in the first few months of kindergarten: drawing letters and coloring shapes, singing songs, watching a snake shed its skin, birthday parties, Halloween, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Three Kings Day, and the Chinese New Year are all presented. Alicia makes friends; by book's end, all the students are ready for vacation, while enjoying school and looking forward to coming back after the break. Goffe's watercolors reflect the happy, sweet tone of the text in this serviceable book for family and classroom. (Picture book. 4-7)