Sophie's Squash Go to School

Author: Miller, Pat Zietlow

Color: Multicolor

Edition: Illustrated

Format: Picture Book

Number Of Pages: 40

Details:

This charming sequel to the beloved Sophie’s Squash is the perfect antidote to the back-to-school jitters! Sophie goes to school for the first time and has no interest in making friends that aren’t squash. Here’s a gently humorous read-aloud that proves that making friends, just like growing squash, takes time.   On Sophie’s first day of school, nobody appreciates her two best friends, Bonnie and Baxter, baby squash that she grew in her garden. Even worse, one classmate, Steven Green, won’t leave Sophie alone. He sits by her at circle time. He plays near her during recess. And he breathes on her while she paints. Steven just wants to be friends, but Sophie isn’t interested. Still, Sophie knows that her squash friends won’t last forever. Maybe it would be nice to have some human friends after all. . . . From School Library Journal PreS-Gr 1—Who needs a friend when you have a squash? When readers last encountered the stubborn protagonist of Sophie's Squash, the girl's beloved Bernice was becoming freckled with spots and mushy. On the advice of the farmer, Sophie provides Bernice with fresh air, clean soil, and love (the squash gets buried by its favorite outdoor spot). Along with the arrival of the warm weather, a sprout appears, and, ultimately, Bernice's two offspring arrive. Now Sophie is starting school, and with her go the small fruits named Bonnie and Baxter. Once there, the kindergartner encounters and vehemently rebuffs the friendly overtures of the persistent Steven Green (who carries around a frog). Slowly, the classroom activities and outdoor games of her classmates begin to attract Sophie's interest, but it isn't until Bonnie and Baxter are tucked in for their "winter nap" and her teacher's question, "What makes a good friend?", followed by a tussle with Steven, an apology, and a plan, that she realizes that friends come in all forms, including human. Young children will relate to Sophie's unease in a new environment and her difficulty letting go of the familiar and comforting. Wilsdorf's watercolor and ink art, filled with details, depict a colorful classroom complete with art projects, books, blocks, and enough activity (and humor) to tempt the most reluctant of preschoolers to give kindergarten a try. VERDICT A warm and encouraging look at starting school, perfect for reading aloud and small group sharing.—Daryl Grabarek, School Library Journal

Reviews:

"While in many picture books problems are solved quickly, Miller makes clear that it takes time, as well as reflection and effort, for Sophie to decide that she wants friends and to figure out how to make them. The character is shy, strongwilled, and resistant to change, qualities many children will relate to as they start school."-- Booklist, Starred Review

“By book’s end, most readers will be willing to side with Sophie’s parents, who remind her that it’s good to have friends: ‘Especially human ones.’”-- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

About the Author:

Pat Zietlow Miller received an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor for Sophie’s Squash, her picture-book debut, which was published to four starred reviews and named a Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book. She is also the author of the picture books Wherever You Go and Sharing the Bread: An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving Story. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit the author at patzietlowmiller.com.   Anne Wilsdorf’s illustrations for Sophie’s Squash were described as “bursting with color and energy on every page” in a starred review by Booklist. She has illustrated numerous other books for children, including My Dog’s a Chicken by Susan McElroy Montanari, Dogs on the Bed by Elizabeth Bluemle, The Best Story by Eileen Spinelli, Alligator Sue by Sharon Arms Doucet, and the Ruby Lu series by Lenore Look. She lives and works in Lausanne, Switzerland....

EAN: 9780553509441

Release Date: 28-06-2016

Languages: English

Item Condition: New

Binding: Hardcover