It’s picture day, and the boy at the center of this charming story wants to make sure his picture is perfect. It seems as though everything’s going wrong for him—he has bedhead, a stained shirt, and a big scowl on his face. But when he goes up for his picture, he thinks about his terrible appearance, and he smiles—because he secretly wants his picture to be the worst ever taken! But just as he smiles, the photo is snapped, and his plan is ruined when he takes a totally adorable picture. Perfectly paired with the larger-than-life silliness of Dan Santat’s illustrations, this is a sweet and funny picture book about a classic school moment. Praise"The narrator’s over-the-top voice makes reading aloud a must . . . high-energy comedy that involves only minor destruction."— Publishers Weekly

A clever, comical re-imagining of the classic "first day of school" story, with a circus twist! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! It's the most amazing day on earth: the first day of school! It can be a daunting prospect, but don't worry — your big brother can show you the ropes. Join a nervous boy and his enthusiastic older brother as they navigate the highs and lows of a first day at school . . . except this school is a big top, and the teacher is named Miss Stupendous, and the cafeteria can be a zoo, literally! It turns out, school isn't so scary when you can let off steam during recess (on a steam train) and walk on stilts to all of your classes. With a bit of help from family and some new friends, you'll make it to the top of the class in no time! This charming take on school readiness will delight new school-goers and take a bit of the fear out of those first-day jitters.

Shows how important learning is in a country where only a few children are able to go to school.

Text and student's drawings explain why their school pictures did not turn out very well.

The first day of school is exciting—but it can be scary, too! Meet Rosie, a brand-new student who just happens to have butterflies in her stomach. “Silvestro and Chen take a common figure of speech and transform it, literally, into a lovely expression of a universal experience.” —Kirkus “A cheering first-day story.” —Publishers Weekly Rosie can’t wait to start kindergarten—she’s had her pencils sharpened and her backpack ready for weeks. But suddenly, on the night before the big day, her tummy hurts. Rosie’s mom reassures her that it’s just butterflies in her belly, and she’ll feel better soon. Much to Rosie’s surprise, when she says hello to a new friend on the bus, a butterfly flies out of her mouth! As the day goes on, Rosie frees all her butterflies, and even helps another shy student let go of hers, too.

Pencil is trying to draw the perfect picture for his dad. So, he asks his friends Brush, Pastel, Marker, Crayon, and Chalk what makes their art perfect. But they each have a different answer. How will Pencil be able to create his own perfect picture?

No matter how hard she tries, Triangle doesn't roll like the circles, or stack like the squares. She sets off to find friends that look exactly like her. But when she finds other triangles, playtime isn't as fun. She misses shapes that roll and stack; she misses being different. So she starts a new quest.