JAKE STARTS SCHOOL

Bug-eyed Jake is back (Jake Stays Awake, 2007) with another problem in this very funny addition to the canon of stories about starting kindergarten. “Then there it was, Room Number 1, / where Jake would join his class. / It looked so big, he felt so small, / he passed a little gas.” When he grabs them around their legs and won’t let go, Jake’s incredibly patient parents have no choice but to accompany him to class. The two pointy-headed parents look utterly ridiculous when uncomfortably squeezed into a youngster’s chair with a terrified looking Jake on top of them. Much to his parents’ relief, the teacher finds something to which Jake can relate, and he makes the transition to successful kindergartener. Wright’s background in cartoons and film is clearly evident, and his eccentric portrayal of people who all look like giant thumbs with arms and legs is his trademark. The preposterously shaped characters, pithy rhymes and the many emotions expressed by just a few differently drawn lines make this an enjoyable graphic experience. (Picture book. 4-6)